The pivot
Binance.US is on the hunt for a $100 million injection to help the platform find its footing again. According to a Bloomberg report, the exchange is pushing for a $1 billion valuation. While that sounds like a massive bag, it’s actually a major downgrade from the $4.5 billion pre-money valuation the team landed back in 2022 during a $200 million seed round.
The context
The move is clearly about strategy. Since the 2023 settlement between Binance Holdings Ltd. and US authorities—which saw the parent company cough up $4.3 billion in penalties and former CEO Changpeng Zhao spend four months in prison before his 2025 pardon—Binance.US has been struggling to regain its standing. The team is trying to use this potential new capital to fight for market share against bigger rivals.
The World Liberty Financial connection
It’s giving "the plot thickens": Binance.US apparently checked in with World Liberty Financial—the platform co-founded by President Donald Trump and his sons—about jumping into the round. However, the company is not participating. If you remember the vibes from last year, there was already some drama surrounding a controversial $2 billion investment involving UAE-linked royalty and the World Liberty platform.
Why it matters
This funding round is a desperate attempt to stay relevant in a brutal market. Whether they can actually pull it off after such a massive valuation haircut remains to be seen. Remember: this is just business, not financial advice, and the space is still high-key volatile.
