The Bitcoin recovery above $80,000 has boosted the value of Binance’s SAFU reserve to approximately $1.2 billion.
Verified CryptoQuant author JA Maartunn recently disclosed that the Binance SAFU wallet has gained around $228 million since the exchange converted the reserve into Bitcoin in February 2026.
Key Points
- Binance completed the purchase of 15,000 BTC for the SAFU reserve on Feb. 12, 2026.
- The exchange converted roughly $1 billion in SAFU stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin over about 30 days.
- The SAFU reserve has gained about $228 million since the purchase occurred, as BTC reclaims $80,000.
- Binance introduced SAFU in July 2018 to protect users during hacks and security breaches.
Binance SAFU Reserve Grows $228M as BTC Rebounds
According to Maartunn, Binance acquired 15,000 BTC worth roughly $1 billion in February 2026 to back the SAFU (Secure Asset Fund for Users) reserve.
He noted that the exchange designed SAFU as an emergency insurance reserve that protects customers against losses resulting from unexpected incidents such as exchange hacks and security breaches. Binance announced this decision in July 2018.
Maartunn revealed that the exchange accumulated BTC for the reserve during market lows in February. Since Bitcoin has climbed nearly 30% from those levels, the SAFU position now carries an estimated unrealized profit of around $228 million. As a result, the reserve currently stands at $1.2 billion.
He also pointed out that Binance previously committed to replenishing the fund back to $1 billion whenever market volatility pushed its value below $800 million. However, the recent Bitcoin recovery has made that scenario unlikely in the near term.
Binance Completed the 15,000 BTC Purchase in mid-February
The completion date for Binance’s full 15,000 BTC acquisition occurred on Feb. 12, 2026. Earlier, around Jan. 30, 2026, Binance announced plans to convert approximately $1 billion in SAFU stablecoin reserves into Bitcoin over a period of about 30 days.
The exchange finalized the conversion on Feb. 12 with a last tranche purchase of 4,545 BTC. This final acquisition brought the total SAFU holdings to exactly 15,000 BTC. At the time of completion, the reserve carried an estimated value of $1.005 billion based on a Bitcoin price of around $67,000 per coin.
Binance carried out the purchases in staggered tranches to reduce market impact during execution. Reports placed the average entry price between roughly $67,000 and $70,000 per BTC.
Bitcoin Price Action Keeps SAFU Reserve in Profit
Despite Binance’s accumulation at the time, Bitcoin continued to face downward pressure after the mid-February announcement. The leading cryptocurrency dropped to around $62,000 in late February before rebounding to approximately $76,000 by mid-March.
The recovery in March gained momentum partly because of developments surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict, which helped fuel renewed activity in the crypto market. However, Bitcoin failed to maintain the upward trajectory through the end of the month.
By March 29, Bitcoin had fallen again to $64,900, pushing the SAFU reserve to $973 million. BTC later resumed its recovery trend and reclaimed the $80,000 level on May 4. Two days later, Bitcoin surged above $82,000 before meeting resistance at that price point.
Although Bitcoin has since experienced a slight pullback, the cryptocurrency continues to trade above $80,000. This sustained strength keeps Binance’s SAFU reserve in a substantial unrealized profit position following the February accumulation campaign.
