Binance has expanded its derivatives offerings by launching perpetual futures contracts tied to gold and silver, allowing traders to gain exposure to precious metals prices through crypto-native infrastructure. The new contracts, XAUUSDT and XAGUSDT, are settled in USDT and track the price movements of gold and silver on a continuous basis without expiration dates. Rather than holding physical metals, participants trade price exposure, blending traditional safe haven assets with stablecoin settlement. The move reflects growing demand for access to non-crypto assets within digital trading environments, particularly as market participants seek diversification amid macro uncertainty. By using stablecoin settlement, the contracts allow traders to move seamlessly between crypto markets and commodities without relying on traditional brokerage accounts or physical delivery mechanisms.
The contracts are operated by Binance through its regulated entity in Abu Dhabi Global Market, where derivatives activities fall under local financial oversight. The exchange described the launch as part of a broader effort to connect conventional financial assets with blockchain based trading rails under compliant frameworks. Similar metals-linked products are already offered by other crypto platforms, but Binance’s scale and global reach give the launch broader visibility. The timing follows a strong performance year for precious metals, with gold and silver significantly outperforming major crypto assets in 2025 as investors rotated toward assets perceived as stores of value. The addition of metals futures highlights how crypto exchanges are increasingly responding to shifts in investor preferences rather than focusing solely on digital asset volatility.
The choice to settle the contracts in USDT underscores the stablecoin’s central role as a settlement layer across diverse asset classes. As tokenized representations of stocks and commodities gain traction, stablecoins are becoming the connective tissue between traditional markets and onchain liquidity. Onchain data shows rapid growth in tokenized commodity and equity exposure over the past year, signaling appetite for digitally accessible versions of legacy assets. Binance has indicated that more traditional asset linked contracts may follow, suggesting an expanding menu that mirrors global financial markets within a crypto framework. The development points to an evolution where stablecoins underpin not only crypto trading but also broader exposure to commodities and other real world assets through regulated digital platforms.
