BNB Price

What Is BNB?

BNB is the native coin of BNB Chain, a group of blockchains that grew out of the Binance crypto exchange. Binance created the token in July 2017 through an initial coin offering (ICO), a public token sale that helped fund the exchange's launch. It began as a voucher for discounted trading fees on Binance. Today it also pays transaction fees on BNB Smart Chain, a network that runs smart contracts, which are programs that carry out a transaction automatically when set conditions are met.

Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, and Yi He. The project describes BNB Chain as community-run, but Binance remains its largest backer and the biggest market for trading the coin. According to the BNB Chain whitepaper, the goal is a fast, low-fee chain that works with Ethereum software, so developers can move apps over with few changes.

How BNB Works

BNB Smart Chain uses a system it calls Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA). A limited set of validators, the computers that confirm transactions and add blocks, is chosen by how much BNB is staked behind each one. Holders can delegate their BNB to a validator, which adds to that validator's weight, and share in its fee rewards. The 21 validators with the most stake, called the Cabinet, produce most blocks, and those ranked 22 through 45 get a smaller share, according to BNB Chain's staking docs. A small validator set keeps fees low and confirmations fast, at the cost of more concentrated control than on Ethereum.

The supply only shrinks. BNB started with 200 million coins, and Binance committed to burning, or permanently destroying, coins until 100 million remain. Two mechanisms do the work, according to the BNB Auto-Burn page.

A quarterly Auto-Burn removes an amount set by a public formula based on BNB's average price and the number of blocks produced that quarter. Alongside it, a real-time burn adopted under a rule called BEP-95 destroys a share of the gas fees in every block. No new BNB is minted to pay validators.

BNB also pays fees on opBNB, a layer 2 network that processes transactions off the main chain and then records the results on BNB Smart Chain. That keeps costs low for apps that need many small transactions.

What People Use It For

Paying fees on BNB Smart Chain and opBNB is BNB's main job. Every token swap, loan or NFT trade on those networks costs a small amount of BNB. On the Binance exchange, paying spot trading fees in BNB cuts them by 25%, according to Binance's fee schedule. Users who lock BNB in Binance's Earn products are also entered into Launchpool and HODLer Airdrops, which hand out new tokens based on how much BNB they hold.

Apps built on the chain, such as the PancakeSwap exchange, use BNB as a trading pair and as collateral for loans. Some holders delegate BNB to validators to earn a share of network fees. A few payment apps and crypto debit cards accept BNB, but spending it at stores is a small use next to trading and paying network fees.

Risks To Know

BNB's biggest specific risk is its tie to Binance. In November 2023, Binance pleaded guilty to US anti-money-laundering and sanctions violations and agreed to pay about $4.3 billion, and CZ pleaded guilty to a related charge and later served four months in prison. The SEC also sued Binance in 2023 and named BNB as a security, then dropped that case in May 2025.

President Trump pardoned CZ in October 2025, a move critics linked to Binance's role in a deal with World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-backed crypto venture. Legal or political shifts around Binance have moved BNB before.

Control is also concentrated. A small validator group runs the chain, and wallets tied to Binance hold a large share of the supply. In October 2022, an attacker exploited BSC Token Hub, the bridge between BNB Chain's two networks at the time, and withdrew 2 million BNB.

BNB Chain suspended the network after contacting validators one by one to contain the damage. The quick pause limited losses, and it also showed a small group can stop the chain.

How To Buy BNB

BNB is easy to find in the US. Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Bitstamp, Binance.US and OKX's US platform all list it. Bitstamp's US service stops taking new deposits and purchases on Feb. 1, 2027. Outside the US, Binance's main exchange is the largest market, along with Bitget, MEXC and Gate. Binance.com does not serve US residents, so Americans use Binance.US, a separate company.

Compare total costs in the table below, since fees and spreads differ by platform. If you plan to use apps on BNB Smart Chain, withdraw on that network specifically. Our walkthrough on which network to use when moving crypto explains why picking the wrong one can lose funds.

BNB And Your Taxes

The IRS treats BNB as property. Selling it, swapping it for another token or spending it creates a capital gain or loss, taxed at long-term rates if you held it more than a year and at ordinary income rates if not. BNB earned from delegating to validators, or from Launchpool and airdrops, counts as income at its market value on the day you receive it.

Our breakdown of how crypto taxes work covers reporting. Because a US spot BNB ETF now trades on Nasdaq, you can hold BNB exposure inside an IRA, where gains are tax-deferred or tax-free.

FAQ

Is BNB A Good Investment?

That depends on your view of Binance and BNB Chain, and on how much risk you can carry. Factors to weigh include how much the chain is used, the shrinking supply from burns, Binance's legal history in the US, concentrated validator control, and the fact that BNB owners hold no stake in Binance the company. This page does not give investment advice, and no one can predict the price.

What Is The Max Supply Of BNB?

BNB launched with 200 million coins, and none have been added since. Binance's stated goal is to burn coins until 100 million remain, through quarterly Auto-Burns and a real-time burn of part of each block's fees. The live data on this page shows the current total and circulating supply.

Who Created BNB?

Binance created BNB in 2017. The exchange was founded that year by Changpeng Zhao, who served as CEO until he stepped down as part of the company's November 2023 guilty plea, and Yi He. BNB Chain is now run by validators and developers in the BNB Chain ecosystem, with Binance as its largest backer.

Can I Buy BNB In An IRA?

Yes. The VanEck BNB ETF, ticker VBNB, began trading on Nasdaq on May 28, 2026, and you can buy it in an IRA at most brokerages. Its prospectus lists a 0.39% sponsor fee.

You can also hold BNB itself through a crypto IRA provider. Our roundup of ways to invest in crypto in an IRA or 401(k) compares both routes.

Where Can I Buy BNB In The US?

Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Bitstamp, Binance.US and OKX's US platform list BNB as of November 2026. Binance.com does not accept US customers. You can also get price exposure without holding the coin through the VanEck BNB ETF in a regular brokerage account. The table on this page compares what each platform charges.

Is BNB The Same As Binance?

No. Binance is a private company that runs crypto exchanges, while BNB is a token used on Binance and on BNB Chain. Owning BNB does not give you shares, profits or votes in Binance. Even so, news about Binance has moved BNB's price, so the two are closely linked in practice.