USDBinance Rolls Out Regulated Gold and Silver Perpetual Contracts as Precious Metals Outpace Crypto in 2025 Rally
A regulated ADGM framework, USDT settlement, and 24/7 trading put traditional commodities onto crypto rails
TL;DR
- Binance has launched USDT-settled, regulated gold and silver perpetual contracts under ADGM oversight, starting January 2026.
- Gold and silver massively outperformed crypto in 2025, with gains of roughly 67% and 152%, respectively.
- The move signals a deeper convergence between traditional finance and crypto derivatives infrastructure.
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Binance has officially entered the regulated precious metals derivatives market, unveiling USDT-settled perpetual contracts for gold and silver under the supervision of Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority. The rollout, disclosed on January 8, 2026, marks the first time a major global crypto exchange has launched fully regulated traditional finance perpetual contracts using a stablecoin settlement model. The products are issued through Nest Exchange Limited, a Binance-affiliated entity licensed in ADGM, positioning the exchange at the intersection of conventional commodities trading and crypto-native market structure.
The initial listings went live earlier in the month, with the gold perpetual contract (XAUUSDT) launching on January 5, followed by the silver contract (XAGUSDT) on January 7. Both instruments are structured as perpetual futures, meaning they do not expire and allow continuous exposure to underlying price movements without physical delivery. Contracts are margined and settled in USDT, aligning the products with Binance’s existing crypto futures ecosystem and allowing traders to deploy familiar risk management tools, leverage settings, and fee structures already used across the platform’s derivatives suite.
These precious metals contracts trade around the clock, a notable departure from traditional commodity markets that operate within fixed trading hours. To manage pricing integrity during periods when underlying spot markets are closed, Binance applies a dual pricing system combining a real-time index during active market hours and a smoothed mark price mechanism outside those windows. Exponential weighted moving averages and deviation limits are used to prevent excessive divergence and reduce the risk of cascading liquidations during thin liquidity conditions. According to Binance’s disclosures, deviation thresholds for commodity contracts such as gold are capped around 3%, reflecting a more conservative risk framework compared with crypto-native assets.
The timing of the launch closely follows an exceptional year for precious metals. Gold prices surged approximately 67% in 2025, reaching an all-time high above $4,549 per ounce on December 26, while silver recorded an even sharper rally of roughly 152%, peaking near $83 per ounce on December 28. Over the same period, Bitcoin ended the year modestly lower, underscoring a performance gap that has renewed trader interest in commodities as inflation hedges and macro risk assets. Binance’s decision to introduce regulated metals exposure through perpetual contracts appears calibrated to that shifting market narrative.
Company executives framed the move as part of a broader strategy to merge traditional finance instruments with crypto infrastructure. Jeff Li, Binance’s vice president of product, described the launch as a meaningful step toward bridging conventional markets and digital asset innovation, emphasizing that round-the-clock access and stablecoin settlement could allow users to manage diversified portfolios more efficiently. The exchange has highlighted ADGM’s regulatory clarity as a key enabler, suggesting that similar frameworks could support future expansions into other traditional asset classes.
Industry observers note that while several crypto exchanges already offer gold and silver derivatives, Binance’s approach stands out due to its regulated structure and formal oversight. Competitors such as Bybit, Coinbase, MEXC, and others provide commodity-linked contracts, but typically without the same regulatory positioning or under different jurisdictional models. By anchoring the products in ADGM, Binance appears to be signaling a long-term commitment to compliant derivatives offerings that appeal to institutional and cross-market participants.
The launch also aligns with a broader trend toward tokenized and crypto-accessible real-world assets, a sector that surpassed $1 billion in on-chain value by late 2025. While Binance’s gold and silver contracts do not represent tokenized bullion, they extend that convergence by embedding traditional price exposure into crypto-native perpetual structures. Analysts see this as a potential blueprint for future regulated offerings, ranging from additional commodities to equity-linked derivatives, as exchanges increasingly function as hybrid venues connecting traditional finance and digital markets under a single trading interface.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
