Binance's European Exit Comes With a 10 USDC Minimum Fee for Small Balances
Key Takeaways
- •Binance will close accounts at its four former European local entities on December 31, with a spokesperson confirming the date to CoinDesk after users in Spain, France, Poland and Italy reported receiving notices.
- •The notices describe a monthly fee of 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance or 10 USDC, whichever is higher, starting November 29, drawn from USDC first and then from other crypto if USDC runs short.
- •The closures follow the end of MiCA transition periods in the four countries, where France's regulator AMF automatically struck off registered providers lacking authorization after July 1, 2026.
- •Customers who withdraw everything before November 29 incur no charge, while Coindoo calculations indicate accounts holding $20 or less could be emptied within two fee cycles.
- •Holdings below their asset-specific minimum withdrawal amounts cannot be moved out, and with deposits blocked, affected users must turn to Binance support to identify remaining exit options.

Binance has confirmed that affected European accounts will close on December 31, with a reported monthly fee beginning on November 29. According to customer notices, the charge is 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance or 10 USDC (a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin), whichever is higher. Deposits are blocked, while crypto and fiat withdrawals continue.
A Binance spokesperson confirmed the December 31 closure date to CoinDesk, which reported that users in Spain, France and Poland had received notices and that Italian users described similar emails on X. The fee terms come from those emails, which CoinDesk said it had not independently confirmed.
Who the notices reach
The four countries have one thing in common: in each, Binance ran a locally registered business before the transition period under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules ended. MiCA has applied in full across the EU since the end of 2024 and requires crypto-asset service providers to hold authorization to serve customers in the bloc, with national transition windows for firms registered under earlier regimes ending by mid-2026. The spokesperson told CoinDesk the exchange is progressively restricting certain services for affected users now that the period is over.
France shows how that deadline played out. The country's market regulator, the AMF, says registered crypto providers that lacked MiCA authorization by July 1, 2026 were struck off its register automatically on July 2. Binance's June 24 European update had already told customers that the impact would depend on their country and account status. It also disclosed that the exchange had withdrawn its Greek MiCA application to seek authorization in another member state.
The notices concern accounts held with the four former local entities. Accounts served through other Binance entities raise separate questions, which Coindoo examined in its report on EU questions over how Binance still serves crypto users.
November 29 is when staying starts to cost
According to the notices, Binance will take a monthly charge of 0.025% of the remaining crypto balance or 10 USDC, whichever is higher, with November 29 as the calculation date. The first deduction falls within three days of that date and a second comes after December 24, so an account still holding crypto on the 29th is charged twice before it closes.
A balance smaller than the charge is taken in full. French outlet Cryptoast, which published the email, reports that the fee comes out of available USDC first, and out of other crypto in the account if USDC falls short. Customers who withdraw everything before November 29 are not charged.
December 31 does not end the process for anyone who misses it. The notices say crypto left after that date will be treated as inactive and may be converted or transferred.
The fee also has a basis in Binance's existing rules. CoinDesk noted that the exchange's terms of use already allow a monthly fee on dormant accounts to cover the cost of holding their assets. On that reading, the charge works as a deadline rather than a revenue line: it costs nothing to a customer who leaves on time.
What a 10 USDC floor does to a small account
With USDC at $1, the percentage and the floor produce the same $10 charge at a $40,000 balance. Below that level, the 0.025% rate never applies. Every account pays the same $10, so the smaller the balance, the larger the share it loses. Two cycles are enough to empty any account holding $20 or less.
These figures come from Coindoo calculations based on the reported notice terms, assuming 1 USDC equals $1, both deductions applying and no other account activity, with amounts rounded to the nearest dollar.
Stuck holdings end up paying the fee
The account's dollar total is the wrong number to watch. Binance's withdrawal-fee guidance sets a minimum withdrawal amount for each asset. Both that minimum and the network fee vary with the network chosen and can change without notice. A holding below its minimum cannot be withdrawn at all.
This is where the deduction order matters. With deposits blocked, a customer cannot top up a small holding to lift it over its minimum. Once USDC runs out, the reported terms let the fee draw on whatever other crypto remains. For an amount that cannot leave through a normal withdrawal, Binance's official support is the channel to ask which exit options the account restrictions still allow.
Choosing a network carries its own risk. The same guidance tells users not to pick a network because its fee is the cheapest. The network must match the receiving address, and funds sent on the wrong one may be lost for good. The destination wallet or platform also has to support both the asset and the network before anything moves.
Three checks before November 29
Verify the notice inside the account. Log in to Binance directly rather than through links in an email, and check the restrictions, dates and fee terms shown for the account itself. Closure notices are common bait for phishing messages.
Match each asset to its minimum. Go through every holding on the withdrawal page and compare it with the current minimum and fee for a network the destination supports. Raise anything below the minimum with support early, not in the final days.
Confirm the balance reads zero. Once the transfers arrive, check that no crypto remains on the Binance account. The calculation looks at whatever is left on November 29.
For now, the fee terms rest on customer emails. Publication on Binance's own support or announcement pages would settle the details. The first practical test comes in early December, when the reported schedule places the first deductions within three days of November 29. Customers in Spain, Italy and Poland should also check whether their own notices carry the same terms as the French one, rather than assume they do.