To be honest, my first reaction when I saw this message was to check my own inbox. Cointelegraph reports that Binance France has started emailing users to notify them that their accounts will be closed on December 31. Note that this means accounts will be closed—not simply that some services will be suspended.
The timing is especially important: starting November 29, assets still on the platform will incur a monthly fee. In other words, you need to take action before the end of November, not wait until December 31. Many people see the words “year-end” and think there’s still plenty of time, but the fees start earlier.
For those in France or who have used the French site, what matters here is who controls the assets—not whether to “trust the platform.” Coins held on an exchange are essentially just entries in someone else’s ledger. When the day comes to close things down, whether you can promptly transfer your $BTC, $ETH, and $BNB to your own wallet depends on whether you’ve prepared an address and practiced transferring a small amount beforehand.
My own rule is: whenever a platform mentions “shutting down,” “winding down,” or “charging a management fee,” I withdraw my coins first and ask questions later. Even with a stablecoin like USDT, don’t let the hassle put you off—move it if you can, and don’t wait until the last day when the network may be congested.
Have you received a similar email over there? Are you planning to move your funds to a self-custody wallet or switch to another exchange? 🤔
The above content does not constitute investment advice.