Binance wants you to focus on who MiCA lets in, not who it keeps out. Which is a convenient argument to make when you’re the one standing outside.
The exchange withdrew its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license application from Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission around June 24, after 18 months of engagement with regulators. That withdrawal came just days before the July 1, 2026, enforcement deadline for the EU’s sweeping crypto regulatory framework, leaving Binance without authorization to onboard new users across several major European markets.
What actually happened in Greece
Binance filed its Greek MiCA application in January 2026. The exchange says it completed reviews at both the national level and with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s top financial regulator.
Former CEO Changpeng Zhao characterized the application as nearly approved. He claimed external political forces derailed the process, alleging that two countries were effectively competing to host Binance’s application.
