This page only states what the three exchanges’ official terms say; it is not legal advice. Verified on 2026-11-10; the lists change, so the latest official version prevails.
Which versions of the terms
- Binance: List of Prohibited Countries, version of 2026-01-05; Terms of Use effective 2026-10-27, with three ADGM (Abu Dhabi) licensed entities as the contracting parties. Section 25.5 forbids using a VPN to get around regional restrictions.
- OKX: Risk & Compliance Disclosure, section 3, updated 2026-07-08 (the English version prevails); Terms of Service of 2026-10-29 assign local entities by residence (EU, US, Australia, UAE, Brazil, El Salvador, Argentina, Singapore).
- Gate: User Agreement clause 2.5, updated 2026-07-22, listing 35 restricted locations “not limited to” those; clause 2.10 separately excludes US persons; stocks and other TradFi assets may face restrictions beyond clause 2.5.
Region by region
Legend: Restricted = the terms prohibit or restrict it; Local entity = residents are served by a local subsidiary under local terms, usually with fewer products; Not listed = not on the restricted list, which doesn’t mean it’s legal or regulated locally; Unclear = not prohibited, but the exchange hasn’t said clearly whether new accounts are allowed.
| Region | Binance | OKX | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Restricted: residents and US citizens; separate Binance.US | Restricted / local entity: some states and all territories restricted; approved states served by OKX US | Restricted: incl. US persons; separate Gate US, Inc. |
| Canada | Restricted | Restricted | Restricted |
| United Kingdom | Unclear: not listed, but referral commission withdrawn; whether new users can sign up isn’t stated | Partly restricted: derivatives, cefi and P2P; no UK entity | Restricted |
| EU / EEA | Unclear: Netherlands prohibited; Greek MiCA application withdrawn; EEA users excluded from referrals since 2026-07-01 | Local entity: OKX EU (Malta) | Local entity: Gate Technology Ltd holds a MiCA licence; global site restricts France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Malta |
| Australia | Local entity: Binance Australia (AUSTRAC-registered); whether users are redirected is unconfirmed | Local entity: OKX Australia; derivatives and cefi may be restricted | Not listed: AUSTRAC-registered entity; whether users are redirected is unconfirmed |
| Singapore | Unclear: not listed, but Singapore residents are excluded from referrals | Local entity: OKX SG | Restricted |
| Malaysia | Not listed: local regulators’ stance not verified | Restricted | Restricted |
| Hong Kong | Unclear: not listed, but no commission when the referred user is a Hong Kong resident | Restricted | Restricted |
| Japan | Local entity: Binance Japan; Japanese residents can’t be referred | Restricted | Restricted: separate local entity Gate Japan |
| Mainland China | Not named in the terms, but prohibited by mainland rules (see below) | Not named in the terms, but prohibited by mainland rules (see below) | Restricted |
| Taiwan | Not listed: not registered in Taiwan; on the local association’s warning list since 2026-08 | Not listed: not registered; on the warning list since 2024-06 | Not listed: not registered; on the warning list since 2026-05 |
Other restricted locations: Binance also prohibits Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Crimea and the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk regions; OKX also restricts Afghanistan, India, Nepal, North Korea, Syria, Uzbekistan and others, with some services restricted in South Korea, Brazil and elsewhere; Gate’s list also includes South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, the UAE, Russia, Argentina and more.
Mainland China
On 2026-02-06 the People’s Bank of China and seven other regulators issued a notice on virtual-currency risks, repealing the 2021 Notice No. 237. It says offshore entities and individuals “may not illegally provide virtual-currency-related services to domestic parties in any form”, and bars internet companies from marketing or paid traffic for virtual-currency business. So even though Binance’s and OKX’s terms don’t name mainland China, we don’t describe it as an available region.
About VPNs
Binance’s terms (section 25.5) explicitly forbid using a VPN or similar to get around regional restrictions. Opening an account or trading from a restricted location can get the account limited or closed. We don’t provide any way around the restrictions.
Binance security incident: where things stand
Binance’s hot wallet was hacked on 2026-10-29, with about US$6.3 billion taken; withdrawals have been restored in batches since 11-01, and Recovery Update #7 (11-04) said about 98% had been recovered. As of 2026-11-10 04:00 UTC the latest official update is Recovery Update #9 (11-06): withdrawals are still being restored in batches and full restoration has not been announced; deposits have stayed open. USDT withdrawals on the TON network were still closed when checked on 11-10. Check the official announcements and network status page before withdrawing.