Binance brushes off Lagarde MiCA speculation, reaffirms Europe commitment

Binance declined to respond to a Wall Street Journal report that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde intervened in the company’s unsuccessful bid for a Greek crypto license, and said it remains committed to obtaining authorization under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The exchange withdrew its Greek application and said it will pursue authorization in another EU member state ahead of MiCA’s July 1 effective date.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished 42 minutes agoUpdated 42 minutes ago0 views

Binance brushes off Lagarde MiCA speculation, reaffirms Europe commitment

Why It Matters

The episode highlights tensions between crypto firms seeking EU regulatory approval and national and EU-level authorities as MiCA’s implementation approaches. Public questions about possible high-level intervention could affect perceptions of how political and supervisory actors influence licensing decisions under the new regime.

Key Facts

Company: Binance
Report source: The Wall Street Journal
Allegation: Christine Lagarde asked Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve Binance’s application (reported by WSJ)
Greek regulator: Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC)
Initial application: Binance applied for a MiCA license in Greece in January 2024 (reported timeline)

Binance declined to comment on media accounts that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde intervened in its bid for a Greek crypto license, saying only that it would not address speculation and that it remains focused on securing MiCA authorization across the EU. The Wall Street Journal reported that a vice chair of Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission told Binance Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve the application.

According to the WSJ account, Greek officials had informed the European Securities and Markets Authority in early June that the HCMC intended to grant the license. Online coverage in mid-June signaled the HCMC was poised to reject the application, and subsequent reporting added the claim of Lagarde’s intervention.

Days before MiCA’s July 1 deadline, Binance withdrew its Greek application and said it would seek authorization in another EU jurisdiction. The company told Cointelegraph it remains committed to operating in Europe on a long-term, compliant basis under the EU rulebook governing crypto assets.

The European Central Bank did not provide a comment on the reports, and Cointelegraph said it had reached out to the HCMC but had not received a response by the time of publication. The sequence of reports adds detail to lingering uncertainty about how Binance’s attempt to obtain MiCA authorization in Greece unfolded.