Binance Ditches Greece MiCA Licence Bid Amid Rejection Fears

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has withdrawn its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence application from Greece's Hellenic Capital Market Commission. The move comes just days after reports surfaced that the regulator was preparing to reject the application.

The MiCA transitional period for crypto-asset service providers ends on July 1, 2026, and Binance is now racing to secure a licence in another EU member state before that date. The exchange had planned to use Greece as its entry point into the European Union, obtaining a single MiCA licence and passporting it across all 27 member states.

Binance submitted its application to the HCMC in January 2026 through a Greek holding company established in December 2025. However, the strategy fell apart when Reuters reported on June 16 that the HCMC was leaning toward rejection. Three days later, Binance pulled the application preemptively.

The exchange has pushed back on any suggestion that its application was deficient, claiming it met MiCA requirements and had already undergone reviews at both the national and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) levels.