Binance Shatters Barriers: Regulated Gold & Silver Perpetual Futures Now Settled in USDT

Binance just dropped a bombshell on traditional commodity markets.

The crypto behemoth launched regulated perpetual futures contracts for gold and silver—settled entirely in Tether's USDT. This isn't just another trading pair; it's a direct bridge between millennia-old stores of value and the digital asset ecosystem's most liquid stablecoin.

Regulation Front and Center

Forget the wild west narrative. These contracts operate under recognized regulatory frameworks, a clear move to attract institutional capital and cautious retail investors who've been eyeing crypto's volatility from the sidelines. It’s compliance as a strategic weapon.

The USDT Settlement Engine

Settling in USDT changes the game. Traders can now speculate on precious metal prices without ever touching fiat or dealing with physical delivery logistics. It creates a seamless, 24/7 trading loop within the crypto economy—capital efficiency on steroids.

A New Hedge for the Digital Age

This provides crypto-native portfolios with a classic inflation hedge, but with the speed and accessibility of a meme coin trade. Suddenly, diversifying out of pure-play crypto assets doesn't mean leaving the ecosystem.

The move pressures traditional commodity exchanges and further blurs the lines between asset classes. Binance isn't just building a crypto exchange; it's assembling a parallel financial system. And let's be honest—it’s offering more innovation before lunch than most legacy banks muster in a fiscal quarter, though one can't help but wonder if this is genuinely about portfolio diversification or just creating another sophisticated casino chip for the degens. Either way, the old guard is officially on notice.

Binance Secures ADGM Licenses to Offer Regulated TradFi Perpetuals

The products are issued by Nest Exchange Limited, a Binance entity regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority within the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Binance said it is the first global digital asset platform to secure a comprehensive set of licenses under the ADGM framework, allowing it to list such contracts on a regulated basis.

Perpetual futures differ from traditional futures in that they have no expiry date and rely on funding mechanisms to keep prices aligned with the underlying asset.

Binance said its TradFi perpetuals mirror existing crypto perpetuals in terms of settlement currency and fee structure, while incorporating pricing and risk controls tailored for periods when traditional markets are closed.

The launch follows growing signals that crypto exchanges are seeking growth beyond digital assets.

API updates published by Binance in December suggested preparations for stock-linked perpetual contracts, pointing to a broader strategy of bringing traditional markets on-chain through derivatives.

JUST IN: @binance has introduced perpetual futures tied to traditional assets, starting with gold (XAUUSDT) and silver (XAGUSDT). pic.twitter.com/dSRu9q12Lf

The timing aligns with a broader rotation across asset classes.

Ki Young Ju, founder of CryptoQuant, recently noted that capital flows into Bitcoin have cooled compared with previous cycles, while interest in equities and commodities has strengthened.

“Money just rotated to stocks and shiny rocks,” Ju wrote.

Ju said a DEEP drawdown appears unlikely, adding that the market is more likely headed for “boring sideways” trading over the coming months.

A flat first quarter WOULD run counter to historical patterns. January has typically delivered modest gains for Bitcoin, averaging a 3.8% return since 2013.

Beyond derivatives, tokenized versions of real-world assets are also gaining traction.

Research data shows onchain representations of stocks and commodities surpassed $1 billion in assets by late 2025, highlighting how crypto infrastructure is increasingly being used to access traditional markets in new ways.

FT Probe Raises Questions Over Binance Compliance After US Settlement

An investigation by the Financial Times alleges that Binance continued to process large volumes of suspicious transactions even after agreeing to strengthen compliance controls as part of its $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities in 2023.

According to internal files reviewed by the newspaper, accounts flagged for serious risks remained active on the platform, with some transactions occurring well after Binance entered a plea agreement with the US Justice Department.

The report says 13 high-risk accounts handled a combined $1.7 billion in transactions between 2021 and 2025, including about $144 million processed after the settlement. Binance rejected the report’s framing.

The findings arrive amid renewed scrutiny of Binance’s governance following President Donald Trump’s pardon of founder Changpeng Zhao in October for anti-money laundering violations.

The pardon, coupled with expanded business ties between the TRUMP family and Binance-linked entities, has complicated oversight efforts, according to former intelligence officials.