Binance confirms advisory role in state-backed Bitcoin reserve initiatives

The worlds largest crypto exchange, Binance, is reportedly engaging several countries in a plan to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve. According to The Financial Times, the exchange CEO, Richard Teng, disclosed this in a recent interview.

Teng reportedly said that several countries have approached Binance to advise them on creating a strategic Bitcoin Reserve and designing a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in their country.

He said:

Although Teng declined to mention the countries in particular, his statement aligns with that of Bitwise CEO, who also mentioned a few months back that foreign governments are approaching to discuss Bitcoin Reserves.

Teng has been particularly bullish on governments and corporations need for early adoption. He said in a recent post on X:

Interestingly, Binance co-founder and ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao was recently appointed as Crypto Advisor for Pakistan‘s Crypto Council. This came only a few weeks after Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zaparov announced that Zhao would advise the country’s National Investment Agency (NIA) on blockchain and crypto regulations.

Zhao has reiterated his commitment to supporting crypto adoption and regulatory efforts globally, noting that he would offer advice for free, and time is the only constraint.

Binance is considering a global headquarters

Meanwhile, Teng, who took over after Zhao stepped down as part of the exchange settlement with US law enforcement, said that Binance might soon have a global headquarters. According to the Financial Times report, Binance is working hard on this issue.

Teng said:

If the plan goes ahead, it would mark a sharp departure from Binances stance under Zhao, who had insisted that the company does not need a global headquarters. However, it also highlights how the exchange seeks to become more regulatory compliant as crypto adoption grows.

Since facing the $4.3 billion legal penalty in the US, Binance has shored up its compliance efforts while seeking regulatory approvals in more countries. Teng said that about a quarter of the exchanges 6,000 employees work in compliance, and the firm is in a better relationship with regulators than before.

US crypto adoption benefits Binance

Interestingly, Teng noted that Binance has benefited from the US crypto adoption and acknowledged that the US efforts are encouraging other countries to make similar moves.

He said:

Since President Donald Trump was sworn in, the US has led in crypto adoption. Although the country has yet to pass any major law on crypto, Trump has already signed executive orders to create a digital assets stockpile and a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve using its seized digital assets.

There have also been changes in the regulatory approach to the industry, with regulators now ending most of the enforcement actions against the industry. Regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), have issued statements and taken actions suggesting deregulation of the crypto industry.