Greece Adds First MiCA Providers as Regulator Denies Binance-Lagarde Report

Greece has joined the EU’s crypto regulatory register with four providers, while its market watchdog expanded its denial of a report claiming ECB President Christine Lagarde helped block Binance’s application.

Greece’s First MiCA Registered Crypto Providers

BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank were added to ESMA’s Markets in Crypto Assets register on Thursday. Six other providers from Germany, France and Slovenia joined at the same time, bringing the total register to 359 unique providers. The Hellenic Capital Market Commission oversees BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece, while the Bank of Greece supervises Piraeus Bank, reflecting how Greece splits regulatory responsibility between two authorities under MiCA’s framework.

Binance’s Withdrawn Application and the Lagarde Report

Binance could have become Greece’s first MiCA authorized provider, which would have let it offer services across the EU under MiCA’s passporting rules. Instead, the exchange withdrew its application on June 24 before HCMC issued a formal decision. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Lagarde had intervened to block the application after Greek officials signaled HCMC intended to approve it, citing a claim that an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve it.