U.S. regulators have approved the resumption of USD deposit and withdrawal services on Binance.US, signaling a positive development for the exchange and its affiliated Binance Coin (BNB). Despite this news, BNB’s market activity remains notably muted, raising questions about why the coin hasn’t seen a significant price reaction.

On February 19th, Binance.US, the U.S.-based arm of the Binance exchange, received regulatory approval to restart USD services. This includes the ability for customers to deposit and withdraw USD via bank transfers, access USD trading pairs, and purchase crypto with fiat currency. Initially, only 10 USD trading pairs, including BNB/USD, are supported. This statement was expected to generate positive momentum for BNB, especially given its close affiliation with Binance.US.

However, despite the positive development, the price of Binance Coin has remained almost stagnant. Over the past 24 hours, BNB saw a minor decline of 0.84%, which does not point to any clear market direction. Additionally, last week BNB experienced its highest monthly loss of 9.28%, and so far, there have been no clear market triggers to reverse this loss or push the price further down.

Muted Market Reaction

Historically, such developments, especially the reopening of USD deposit and withdrawal services, have been known to generate increased trading activity, particularly in the token associated with the exchange. This approval could typically be expected to lead to an influx of U.S. investors buying BNB as they engage with the exchange. However, metrics show otherwise—there has been no significant change in BNB’s trading activity or market behavior.

The total value locked (TVL) in the BNB ecosystem, a key indicator of liquidity, has seen a slight uptick but is far from impressive. As of February 20, TVL stood at $5.527 billion, only a modest increase from $5.502 billion just two days earlier. This suggests that liquidity inflows are weak, and investor engagement remains low despite the positive news.

Weak Investor Sentiment

Binance Coin’s overall trading activity continues to show little enthusiasm from traders. According to data from Artemis, while there has been a small uptick in daily active addresses (from 1 million to 1.3 million) and daily transactions (from 4.8 million to 5.6 million), these increases have not been enough to push BNB’s price upward. The lack of substantial engagement indicates that investor sentiment remains tepid, as there has been no substantial influx of capital into the BNB ecosystem.

This muted market response could be attributed to a range of factors, including ongoing regulatory concerns, investor caution, and overall market conditions. The scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the U.S. has likely made investors wary, as the regulatory environment for crypto exchanges remains uncertain. Even with USD services being restored, investors may still be hesitant to commit to BNB due to broader market uncertainties.

Conclusion

Despite the positive regulatory development for Binance.US, Binance Coin (BNB) has not experienced a significant price surge or notable market activity. Weak investor sentiment, muted liquidity inflows, and an overall cautious market environment have contributed to the lack of a strong price reaction. As the broader crypto market continues to navigate regulatory and economic uncertainties, BNB’s price could remain under pressure until a more substantial shift in market sentiment occurs.