Binance has withdrawn its application for a Markets for Crypto Assets (MiCA) license in Greece and will seek authorization in another European Union country, the crypto exchange said on Wednesday via several X publications.
While Binance did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment, Gillian Lynch, head of Europe and the United Kingdom, told Reuters that “Binance will not abandon Europe.” His comment comes after his company’s attempt to obtain a license in Greece to offer crypto services in the EU failed.
Last week, Binance said its European MiCA regulatory application was in compliance despite reports of Greek rejection. “It is our understanding that the HCMC (Hellenic Capital Market Commission) completed its review of the application and found it to be compliant with MiCA requirements, and that the application was also reviewed at the ESMA level,” a Binance spokesperson told CoinDesk via email on June 16.
The decision comes days before the June 30 deadline. Under MiCA rules, crypto companies must obtain a license from at least one EU member state by July 1 to serve customers across the 27-nation trading bloc. Unlicensed companies must end their activities in the EU.
