Binance has withdrawn its MiCA license application in Greece and confirmed it will seek authorization in a different EU member state, with seven days before the bloc's regulatory wind-down deadline takes effect.
The exchange confirmed the withdrawal Wednesday in a post on X, saying the target jurisdiction would be named publicly when Binance is ready to announce it. Gillian Lynch, Binance's head of Europe and the United Kingdom, told Reuters that the exchange is "not leaving Europe" and would pursue authorization in another EU jurisdiction.
Reuters reported that Binance held talks with Ireland and Latvia in addition to Greece, but formally applied only in Greece. Regulators in those countries reportedly raised concerns over Binance's past money-laundering penalties, corporate structure, and what officials described as a risk-taking culture.
Binance applied for a MiCA license under Greece's Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) in January 2026. In a blog post on June 16, the exchange said the HCMC had completed its review and considered the application compliant, but that it had been referred for further review at the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) level.
The withdrawal reverses that position. Binance said it plans to take steps before July 1 to remain "compliant with applicable requirements" and acknowledged that some users may be affected.
