Binance Says Greek Regulator Approved Its MiCA License, Report Says Otherwise

Binance's 18-month sprint for a MiCA license in Greece may end with a rejection notice, not a green light - unless you believe Binance's own account.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) plans to deny the world's largest crypto exchange its Markets in Crypto Assets license. Two people familiar with the situation told Reuters the decision will land before the June 30 deadline. If true, Binance would lose the legal right to serve EU customers from a single Greek passport, forcing it to scramble for an alternative jurisdiction or face market exits.

Binance's Version: HCMC Called It Compliant

Binance told CoinDesk a very different story. A company spokesman stated that "the HCMC completed its review of the application and considered it compliant with MiCA requirements" and that the regulator informed ESMA of this view. The spokesman added that HCMC intended to "progress the licence and move to authorise at an upcoming Board meeting."

Binance chose Greece after speculation about a Malta license. It set up a Greek holding company late last year to support the application, Greek media reported. So the stakes are high - and the public contradiction between a major wire service and the exchange's official line is striking.

ESMA Looms, Clock Ticks Down

MiCA licenses must be issued by the end of this month, or firms lose their temporary transitional status. If HCMC actually rejects the application, Binance could appeal or try to route through another EU member state. But time is brutally short. The HCMC itself did not respond to requests for comment as of publication.

Whether this is a leaked rejection that HCMC hasn't formalized yet, or Binance is misreading the regulator's internal signals, the outcome will ripple across the European crypto market. Binance currently dominates spot volumes; a forced withdrawal would hand market share to Coinbase, Kraken, and Bitstamp.

This clash will resolve within days. Either Binance gets its license and the Reuters story was premature, or HCMC says no and the exchange's EU compliance strategy resets to zero.

Source: Binance says its European regulatory application is compliant despite report of Greek rejection
Domain: coindesk.com