Binance has withdrawn its application for a crypto license in Greece following reports that European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde personally lobbied against the move. ECB’s Report
Binance has withdrawn its application for a crypto license in Greece following reports that European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde personally lobbied against the move.
On Friday, The Wall Street Journal cited information from a vice chair of Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), who said Lagarde contacted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to request that authorities block Binance’s application.
According to the report, Greek officials had notified the European Securities and Markets Authority in early June that HCMC planned to approve Binance’s license request. The timeline changed after news surfaced of high-level concern within European regulatory circles.
Reports began circulating in mid-June that the HCMC was preparing to reject Binance’s bid to operate under the European Union’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework. The French news outlet The Big Whale also stated Lagarde was directly involved in voicing concerns about Binance’s application.
In response to mounting speculation, a Binance spokesperson stated the exchange would not comment on rumors but reaffirmed its commitment to compliance within the EU.
A spokesperson responded that Binance “remains committed to operating on a long-term, compliant basis under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.”
Shortly before the July 1 MiCA compliance deadline, Binance formally withdrew its Greek application, signaling an intent to pursue authorization in another European Union jurisdiction. The exchange did not specify which country it would target next.
Cointelegraph contacted both the European Central Bank and the HCMC for confirmation regarding the alleged intervention, but neither institution provided a statement by publication time.
Binance’s Greek license bid marked part of a broader strategy to align its operations with the sweeping MiCA regulations that took effect in the European Union this summer. MiCA, designed to streamline crypto company oversight and standardize consumer protections, has prompted many global exchanges to reassess their European approaches.
Regulatory dynamics within the EU remain in flux, with recent months seeing intensified scrutiny on trading platforms and new compliance requirements for institutions planning to launch digital asset services. As demand for secure and regulated crypto infrastructure increases, Deutsche Bank, for example, is reportedly awaiting regulatory approval to offer institutional-grade custody services for digital assets.
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Binance’s decision to withdraw its Greece application underscores the complexity of obtaining regulatory authorization in the current European landscape, particularly amid close attention from both national and EU-level authorities.
Greek officials reportedly told the European Securities and Markets Authority in early June that the HCMC intended to approve Binance’s MiCA license.
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