Binance has accelerated its strategic shift toward Bitcoin by purchasing an additional 3,600 BTC for its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). This acquisition, executed using approximately $250 million in stablecoins, brings the emergency fund’s total Bitcoin holdings to 6,230 BTC. The move is a key part of an aggressive plan announced on January 29 to convert the exchange’s $1 billion user-protection reserve from dollar-pegged tokens into Bitcoin within a 30-day window.
The exchange has framed this transition as a statement of long-term conviction, describing Bitcoin as the foundational asset of the crypto ecosystem. By moving the SAFU reserves into Bitcoin, Binance aims to ensure the backstop remains transparent, auditable, and resilient to inflation. To maintain the fund’s efficacy, Binance has pledged to keep the reserve value at $1 billion, promising to top it back up if market volatility ever drives the total valuation below the $800 million mark.
This significant accumulation is taking place against a backdrop of broader market turbulence and a “risk-off” sentiment among investors. While Binance is effectively buying the dip for its insurance chest, major digital assets have struggled to maintain their footing. Bitcoin has recently traded near $66,600, down roughly 5% in a single day, while Ethereum and Solana have seen even sharper drawdowns. Despite this immediate volatility, Binance remains committed to completing the full $1 billion conversion by the end of February.
Industry analysts view the move as both a defensive safeguard and a strategic bet on the future of digital reserves. Market trackers indicate that Binance has already deployed nearly $430 million toward Bitcoin purchases for the SAFU wallet in just a few days. However, the broader market remains cautious, with some technical indicators suggesting that if current support levels fail, the price of Bitcoin could potentially slide toward the low-$40,000 range despite high-volume institutional buying.
