Main Takeaways:

As the new year gets underway, we took a moment to pause and reflect on the achievements and statistics that defined our 2022.

2022 was unquestionably a challenging year for everyone in the blockchain and crypto space, including us. In the face of major headwinds, we remained steadfast in prioritizing user experience, products with real-world value, and — most importantly — a healthy, sustainable path forward for the entire industry. Below are some key takeaways from Binance’s end-of-year report that we have released today.

The Big Picture: Security, Regulation, and Compliance

We at Binance believe that appropriate regulatory frameworks and a safe ecosystem that protects its users underpin the road to the mass adoption of crypto and blockchain.

But, as many in this space would know, stating your core values is one thing, and applying them is another. Safe to say, our actions this past year speak for themselves. For starters, we secured licenses, registrations, and approvals in 14 jurisdictions by the end of 2022. Leveraging our extensive experience, we continued to assist regulators and policymakers in developing practical regulatory frameworks for digital assets. We also increased our security and compliance team’s headcount by 500%, drawing in some of the industry’s best talent.

We committed significant time and effort to conduct more than 70 law enforcement workshops on topics related to crypto, blockchain, and combatting digital financial crime. With an average response time of three days, we processed over a staggering 47,000 law enforcement requests. We also became the first blockchain and crypto organization to join the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA)

Inside the Binance ecosystem, we implemented key upgrades to our identity verification (know-your-customer, or KYC) processes, including real-time photo-quality assessment, faster verification in several regions, and a significantly wider range of supported ID documents.

Building Trust

After a series of shocking bankruptcies within the crypto space, which didn’t help improve the public’s sentiment amid the harsh macroeconomic environment, we worked to build and restore trust in not only Binance, but also the larger ecosystem.

Our CEO and founder, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), released a framework of six principles, which you can read here, to offer a path for centralized crypto exchanges regain the trust of users and regulators.

Leading the charge for transparency, we launched a proof-of-reserves (PoR) system that anyone can use to verify that user funds are held 1:1 on Binance, in addition to a proof of collateral for all Binance Bridge-pegged tokens. And to safeguard our 128 million users in the event of an emergency, we increased the value of our Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) back to $1 billion.

Supporting the Industry and Beyond

2022 saw several promising projects fall victim to events out of their control. We continued to support fellow peers who seek to leave a positive, lasting impact on the space and deliver value to end users.

In November 2022, we committed an initial $1 billion, pledging to increase our contribution to $2 billion if needed, to our new Industry Recovery Initiative. And through Binance Labs, we’ve invested more than $500 million to support Web3 and blockchain innovation, started the fifth season of our Incubation Program, and approved or closed 14 strategic M&A deals, as well as 61 token venture deals.

While other companies in and out of crypto experienced major layoffs and hiring freezes, we scoured the globe for more talent, increasing our total headcount to more than 7,500 employees coming from more than 100 nationalities.

We also bolstered our philanthropic and humanitarian efforts through the Binance Charity Foundation (BCF), including, among other initiatives, a 10 million BUSD donation to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the launch of a first-of-its-kind Binance Refugee Crypto Card.

Events and Products

2022 was a busy year for Web3 events. We celebrated our fifth anniversary in style with over 3,000 in-person attendees and a staggering 1.5 million of those who followed virtually, against the stunning backdrop of Paris. Moreover, we hosted and attended some of the biggest events in technology, including two Binance Blockchain Weeks in Dubai and Paris, as well as Lisbon’s annual Web Summit. Beyond the major events, we took the time to connect with millions of Binance users worldwide through hundreds of online and in-person community events.

From a simple, fast, and secure crypto exchange to now a sprawling Web3 ecosystem, we’ve only continued to build and add more tools, products, and functionalities. Every new offering on Binance is embedded with robust security protocols and the work of a user-focused product team.

The year tested the foundations of our nascent industry and pushed Web3 companies to try harder and do better. On our end, we’re prepared to assist and coordinate industry-wide efforts to restore trust and build a secure foundation for welcoming the next billion crypto users.

Despite growing at a staggering pace, we’ve never forgotten where we started — to provide a secure, user-friendly digital asset experience. While much work lies ahead, we believe if you’re doing what’s right for the user, 2023 will be a great year for more growth, adoption, and innovation. At Binance, our core approach will remain the same — put users first, innovate, and lead the industry by example, not words.

Read more: Looking Back at Binance’s 2022: End-of-Year Report

Full report: https://public.bnbstatic.com/static/content/End-of-Year-Report-2022.pdf