Greece Enters EU Crypto Register Under MiCA as Binance Withdraws Application

Greece has officially entered the European Union's crypto regulatory register for the first time under MiCA, adding four Greek providers to its list of approved service providers. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated its MiCA register on Thursday, bringing the total number of unique providers to 359. Among the new additions are BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece, and Piraeus Bank, which is a major Greek lender.

The inclusion of these four providers means that Greece has split crypto oversight between its capital market regulator, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), and the central bank. The HCMC is listed as the competent authority for three of the providers, while Piraeus Bank's central bank counterpart, the Bank of Greece, is listed as the competent authority.

However, Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume, had been expected to be among the first MiCA-authorized providers. The exchange withdrew its application on June 24 before a formal decision could be made, and it was reported that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde may have intervened in the process.

The HCMC has denied these claims, stating that no official communication occurred between ECB officials and Greek regulators regarding Binance's application. The regulator also rejected assertions that a vice chair had made comments to Binance about the application being blocked by Lagarde.