The short answer: a small balance on an exchange is usually not frozen, it is stuck, and the reason is almost always one of three things. It is below the withdrawal minimum for that coin, it is too small to trade on its own, or the account has gone quiet long enough for fees or a closure to catch up with it. Most exchanges give you a tool to fold those crumbs into one coin you can withdraw, and the right order of steps gets nearly all of it out.

It matters more this month than usual. CoinEx is closing: spot trading ends at 02:00 UTC on September 29, 2026, anything still held in a coin other than USDT after that is converted to USDT for you, and withdrawals close for good at 02:00 UTC on December 22, 2026. BitMEX closed on September 23, 2026 and charges a monthly fee on balances verified users leave behind. Small balances are exactly the ones people forget until it is too late.

One disclosure. We run CoinVast, a swap service, and some of the people who write to us are trying to move exactly these leftovers. We describe each exchange's tools as that exchange documents them.

Why small balances get stuck

Why it is stuck What it looks like The fix
Below the withdrawal minimum The withdraw button refuses the amount, or the fee is larger than the balance Combine it with other balances into one coin, then withdraw that
Too small to trade The coin has no sell option for such a small amount Use the exchange's small balance convert tool
Network fee larger than the balance The withdrawal would arrive as nothing Withdraw on a cheaper network, or combine first
Account went dormant A monthly fee starts reducing the balance Withdraw or convert before the fee runs it down
Exchange is closing Coins are converted or trading stops on a set date Act before the published deadline, not after

What the major exchanges offer

Exchange Small balance tool How often What you get
Binance Convert small balance Once every 6 hours BNB, from eligible low value balances
Kraken Convert small balances Once every 24 hours Any asset you choose, such as BTC or USD, from balances below the minimum instant order size (about 1 USD)
CoinEx (closing) None needed after September 29 One time Remaining non USDT assets with market liquidity are converted to USDT for you
BitMEX (closed) None Monthly charge Balances left after closure are charged USD 50 equivalent or 1% a year, whichever is greater, billed monthly

The tools do the same job in different ways. Binance's folds eligible leftovers into BNB, and you can use it once every 6 hours. Kraken's lets you pick the destination asset, treats anything below the minimum instant buy or sell size, roughly one dollar, as a small balance, and runs once every 24 hours. Neither is automatic: you have to open the tool and confirm, and each exchange shows its own eligibility rules on the screen before you do.

Withdrawal minimums, the most common cause

Every exchange and payment app sets a minimum withdrawal per coin, usually tied to the network fee, because sending a few cents of a coin whose network fee costs more would be pointless. PayPal, for example, publishes minimum external transfers of 0.001 BTC, 0.01 ETH, 0.01 LTC and 0.01 SOL. If your balance is below the minimum, the withdraw button will not accept it, and no amount of retrying helps.

The fix is to change the coin, not the button. Convert the leftover into a coin where your combined balance is above the minimum and the network fee is low, then withdraw that one. A stablecoin on a cheap network is often the best landing spot, because the value will not move while you finish the job.

How to get small balances out, in order

Step 1: List everything, including the zeros

Most exchanges hide small balances by default. Turn on the option to show them, often a toggle labelled with something like "show small balances", and write down every coin with anything in it.

Step 2: Convert the crumbs into one coin

Use the exchange's small balance tool first, because it handles amounts too small to trade. Then trade anything left that is above the minimum into the same coin you chose.

Step 3: Pick the network before you withdraw

The same coin can often be withdrawn on several networks with very different fees. Pick the cheapest network your destination wallet supports, and check that it matches the address format of your wallet.

Step 4: Withdraw to a wallet you control

Send the combined balance to your own wallet. If you want it in a different coin, swap it once it is in your wallet rather than on the exchange, so it is out of the exchange before any closure deadline. A USDT to XMR swap or any of our other pairs pays straight to the address you choose.

Step 5: Close what you no longer use

An exchange account you stopped using still holds a claim against that exchange, and dormant accounts are where inactivity fees and missed closure notices happen. Empty it and close it.

Is it worth the effort?

For a few cents, no. For a few dollars across ten coins, usually yes, because the conversion tools make it one or two taps. The real reason to do it is not the money in the crumbs: it is that an old exchange account with a balance is an account that can be hacked, frozen or closed while you are not looking. Our exchange shutdown tracker exists because people keep finding out about closures after the deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I withdraw my small crypto balance?

Because it is below the exchange's withdrawal minimum for that coin, or the network fee would be larger than the balance. Convert it into a coin where your combined balance is above the minimum, using the exchange's small balance tool if the amount is too small to trade, and withdraw that coin instead.

What is crypto dust?

Dust is a balance too small to trade or withdraw on its own, usually leftovers from earlier trades or withdrawals. It is still yours; it just needs to be combined with other balances before it can go anywhere.

How do I convert small balances on Binance?

Binance has a convert small balance tool that folds eligible low value balances into BNB, and you can use it once every 6 hours. The tool shows which of your balances qualify before you confirm.

How do I convert small balances on Kraken?

Kraken lets you convert balances below the minimum instant buy or sell size, about 1 USD, into an asset of your choice such as BTC or USD, once every 24 hours. In the app, you turn on the view of small balances from the portfolio screen and then choose to convert them.

What happens to my crypto if an exchange closes?

It depends on the exchange's published plan, which is why the dates matter. CoinEx will convert remaining non USDT assets with market liquidity into USDT after 02:00 UTC on September 29, 2026, and closes withdrawals at 02:00 UTC on December 22, 2026. BitMEX charges verified users who leave funds after its closure USD 50 equivalent or 1% a year, whichever is greater, billed monthly.

Do exchanges charge fees on inactive accounts?

Some do, especially after a closure or a market exit, and the terms are set in the announcement. The safest assumption is that a forgotten balance will shrink rather than grow, so withdraw or convert anything you are not using.

Sources and method

The tools and terms here come from the exchanges' own help pages and announcements, read in September 2026: Binance's support article on converting small balances; Kraken's support article on converting small balances; CoinEx's notice on its orderly cessation of operations; BitMEX's closure terms as recorded in our shutdown dataset; and PayPal's help article on crypto transfers for its minimums. Exchanges change these rules without much notice, so the tool inside your account is the final word. If a rule here has changed, tell us at [email protected].

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