Binance EU Crypto Bid Stalled Amid Lagarde Intervention Reports

Binance's bid to obtain an EU crypto-asset service-provider authorisation through Greece has stalled. The company withdrew its application in June, before a 2026 deadline, after the process stalled. CoinDesk reported that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde intervened, but this claim is not confirmed by any published Greek licensing decision.

The application was submitted to the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, which handles MiCA permission, not a banking licence. The process involves assessing an applicant's management, governance, and internal controls, as well as its anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing arrangements.