Binance didn’t ditch XRP throughout its legal drama with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
That’s according to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao who clarified on X that while many U.S. exchanges delisted XRP amid the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple, Binance’s global platform never suspended trading of the token.
The distinction between Binance.com and Binance.US highlights how regulatory pressures in the U.S. forced regional actions, even as international platforms continued to support Ripple Labs’ XRP token.
With Ripple’s legal battle nearing resolution and XRP regaining listings on U.S. exchanges, Zhao’s comment underscores Binance’s consistent global backing of the asset during a period of industry-wide uncertainty.
“FWIW, Binance.com never delisted XRP,” Zhao posted in response to Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s announcement about dropping cross appeals.
The clarification distinguishes between Binance’s global platform and Binance.US, which suspended XRP (XRP) trading in January 2021 following the SEC lawsuit.
An analyst confirmed this distinction, noting that “Binance.com never delisted XRP. Only Binance.US suspended it in Jan 2021 after the SEC lawsuit — it’s now relisted.”
Major exchanges fled amid regulatory uncertainty
Following the SEC’s complaint in December 2020, which claimed that Ripple had engaged in an unregistered securities sale, the majority of well-known U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges delisted XRP. The regulatory action created uncertainty about XRP’s legal status in the United States.
Coinbase announced the suspension of XRP trading for U.S. customers shortly after the SEC complaint, removing one of XRP’s largest trading venues. Crypto.com followed by delisting and suspending XRP trading in the U.S. on Jan. 19, 2021.
OKCoin suspended XRP trading to align with the risk management decisions of other platforms. Blockchain.com announced it would halt XRP trading and delist the asset, following actions by Coinbase, Binance.US, and OKCoin. Bittrex removed XRP markets for U.S. customers as of Jan. 15, 2021.
Binance’s decision to maintain XRP trading on its international platform provided crucial liquidity during the legal uncertainty. The exchange’s continued support helped XRP maintain market access despite the challenges posed by U.S. regulations.
XRP (XRP) currently shows mixed short-term performance with declines of 0.2% over 24 hours and 0.4% over 30 days. The token has posted yearly gains of 361.1%, showing recovery from the litigation period.
Binance.US has since relisted XRP following favorable court rulings and the settlement announcement. The legal resolution removes the primary barrier to XRP trading on major U.S. platforms.
