Greece Enters EU Crypto Register as Binance Withdraws MiCA Application

Greece has entered the European Union's crypto regulatory register for the first time, with four providers added to the MiCA register. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated its list on Thursday, adding six other crypto-asset service providers from Germany, France, and Slovenia. This brings the total number of unique providers on the list to 359.

The distinction of becoming Greece's first MiCA-authorized provider could have gone to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume. However, the exchange withdrew its application on June 24 before a formal decision was made by the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC). The Wall Street Journal reported that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde had intervened to block the application.

The HCMC denied making any comments attributed to them, stating they received no communication about Binance's application from the Prime Minister or other government officials. This denial comes after the regulator initially expanded on its previous statement in response to Cointelegraph.