In June 2026, Binance withdrew its MiCA licence application in Greece and said it would seek approval elsewhere in the EU. A September report in The Wall Street Journal offers an explanation. It says European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde helped stop the application. Greek authorities deny it. Below, we separate what is confirmed from what is only reported.
Confirmed
- Binance withdrew in Greece. Binance announced the withdrawal itself. Its bid for an EU-wide licence as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) ran through Greece’s securities regulator, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC).
- No MiCA licence anywhere in the EU. Binance does not appear on ESMA’s interim MiCA register, last updated 24 September 2026. We searched the register files for Binance and its known EU entities and found no CASP authorisation and no stablecoin white paper.
- The ECB does not license crypto firms. An ECB spokesperson told CoinDesk the bank “has no institutional role” in authorising CASPs.
Reported, not confirmed
- Lagarde’s role. The WSJ report, by Angus Berwick, cites “people familiar” with the process. It says an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve the licence. Several outlets later described this as a phone call. The WSJ text we reviewed does not show that detail.
- ESMA’s role. The same report says ESMA privately advised national regulators to block Binance because of its compliance record.
- A second Greek application. AML Intelligence reported that Binance also applied to the Bank of Greece to issue a stablecoin, and that the bank was about to reject it. Binance told the outlet it withdrew that application voluntarily.
Denials
- Bank of Greece: it “simply applied the rules” and received no advice or pressure from any other authority, as quoted by AML Intelligence.
- HCMC: it assessed the application independently, against EU and national requirements.
- Greek government: a finance ministry adviser told the WSJ the government had “no role whatsoever” in the assessment.
- Binance: told CoinDesk “We will not comment on speculation”, and that it is “actively working toward becoming MiCA-authorised”.
What changes in our data
Nothing. Binance is already recorded as not authorised under MiCA, and our EU rows are limited or restricted on that basis. We are separately re-checking our France row: Binance’s French entity said it would stop providing crypto services there from 1 July 2026. Any status change will be logged once verified against Binance’s own notices.
What to watch
Where Binance files next. Reports have pointed to France’s AMF, but neither Binance nor the AMF has confirmed a filing.
Sources
- Binance, MiCA licence application withdrawn in Greece, 24 June 2026.
- ESMA, Interim MiCA register, updated 24 September 2026.
- The Wall Street Journal, “Christine Lagarde Helped Block Binance’s Foothold in Europe”, September 2026 (syndicated text via To Vima).
- CoinDesk, ECB and Binance responses, 18 September 2026.
- AML Intelligence, Bank of Greece stablecoin application, 23 September 2026.
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