TLDR:
- Binance aims to become a super app beyond trading, offering payments and finance.
- Shunyet Jan says stablecoin usage is driving demand for payment services.
- Binance added tokenized stocks and ETFs to expand its financial ecosystem.
- Emerging markets show strong trust in Binance over local banks and governments.
Binance is repositioning itself as a crypto super app, moving beyond trading into payments and broader financial services.
Shunyet Jan, the exchange’s head of spot trading and derivatives, told CoinDesk that stablecoin adoption is reshaping digital asset usage.
The strategy shift comes as Binance marks its ninth year in operation. Jan described plans to unify trading, payments, and financial products on one platform.
Binance Builds a Super App Around Payments
Binance’s leadership views payments as the next major growth area for the exchange. Jan explained that trading still anchors the business at present.
Stablecoins, however, are increasingly used for transfers rather than speculation alone. This shift has opened a market larger than trading revenue by itself.
“We’re trying to not just be a crypto exchange, but be a super app that involves payment,” Jan said. He added that framing Binance as a payment provider changes the scale of its potential market entirely.
Jan pushed back on any suggestion that growth has slowed for the exchange. “I don’t think it’s really leveled off,” he said, attributing recent changes to rising stablecoin usage.
People now move digital assets for spending needs, not only investment purposes. That behavior is driving Binance to expand its product lineup steadily.
Over the past year, Binance introduced tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds. These additions support a broader goal of keeping users within one ecosystem.
Jan said the company wants users to trade, pay, and invest together. This mirrors ambitions already voiced by other major exchanges in the sector.
Jan noted that many Binance employees keep most assets on the platform itself. “I think a lot of the Binance employees and myself included keep most of our assets on the exchange because we could do whatever we need,” he said. He explained that this includes making payments and spending directly through a linked debit card.
Emerging Markets Fuel Binance’s Super App Ambitions
Binance sees strong demand for its super app model across emerging markets. Jan explained that many users in these regions lack full banking access.
Others face limited options for traditional investment products through local institutions. Crypto and stablecoin services help address that gap for these users.
Jan said trust plays a central role in why users choose Binance locally. “Sometimes they trust us more than the local government or local banks,” he said.
This dynamic strengthens the case for expanding financial services in such regions. It also supports demand for a unified super app approach worldwide.
Binance is not alone in pursuing this broader financial platform strategy. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described a similar vision back in 2023.
He compared that goal to Tencent’s WeChat, a dominant app across Chinese digital life. Armstrong reaffirmed the same long-term ambition again during 2025.
Both exchanges appear to be responding to similar stablecoin adoption trends. Banks and payment firms increasingly treat stablecoins as settlement infrastructure now.
This pattern suggests exchanges industry-wide are rethinking core business models. Binance’s super app push reflects that broader shift toward integrated platforms.
