Binance converts its $1 billion safety net into 15,000 BTC

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Binance converts its $1 billion safety net into 15,000 BTC

The crypto exchange finalized a 30-day plan to convert its stablecoin-backed user protection fund into 15,000 BTC, reinforcing bitcoin as its long-term reserve asset.

By Will Canny, AI Boost|Edited by Jamie Crawley

Feb 12, 2026, 11:00 a.m.

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Binance completes $1 billion shift of stablecoin reserves into bitcoin. (CoinDesk)

What to know:

• Binance purchased a final 4,545 bitcoin, bringing SAFU holdings to 15,000 BTC worth about $1 billion at completion.
• The move comes after a January 30 announcement that the exchange would convert $1 billion worth of stablecoins into bitcoin.
• SAFU, created to protect users from hacks and unforeseen losses, is now fully backed by bitcoin, with a pledge to replenish funds if value falls below $800 million.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has completed the final leg of its plan to convert the Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) entirely into bitcoin BTC$68,080.62, closing out a $1 billion transition from stablecoin reserves into BTC.

The exchange purchased a final tranche of 4,545 BTC, bringing SAFU’s total holdings to 15,000 BTC, valued at roughly $1.005 billion at a bitcoin price of $67,000 at the time of completion, according to a post on X on Thursday.

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The world's largest cryptocurrency was trading around $67,500 at publication time.

SAFU, established to protect users from losses caused by unforeseen events such as hacks, was originally backed by a mix of assets including stablecoins. Under the new framework, the fund is now fully denominated in bitcoin. Binance also pledged to replenish the reserve if its value drops below $800 million due to market volatility.

The 30-day transition was finalized within the timeline Binance set when it first announced the strategy shift. The move traces back to late January, when the exchange revealed it would convert $1 billion in dollar-pegged tokens held in SAFU into bitcoin, reinforcing its view of BTC as a long-term reserve asset.

A growing number of companies have begun adopting bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset in recent years, shifting portions of their treasuries from traditional fiat holdings into BTC. This trend reflects a broader institutional acceptance of bitcoin’s long-term store-of-value properties amid persistent inflationary pressures and low yields on conventional assets.

Binance exchange took an early onchain step in that process on Feb. 2, transferring 1,315 BTC, worth roughly $100 million worth of bitcoin, from its hot wallets into SAFU. That transaction signaled the start of what would become one of the largest single treasury-style reallocations into bitcoin by a crypto exchange.

Binance said the fully bitcoin-backed SAFU underscores its confidence in BTC as the premier long-term reserve asset.

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AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.

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