Binance will not leave the EU market and will make another attempt to obtain a MiCA license, despite the failure of its first application in Greece.
The information appeared on Walter Bloomberg’s X account. Here is what is known so far.
What Happened In Greece
The Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) rejected Binance’s application for a MiCA license. The company’s local subsidiary submitted the documents in January 2026. On June 16, 2026, Reuters reported that the regulator planned to reject the application, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
For the platform, this is a serious setback. Without approval from a national regulator, Binance will be unable to serve clients in EU countries after the MiCA transition period ends on July 1, 2026.
Initially, Binance representatives disagreed with this interpretation of events. The day after the Reuters article was published, the company issued an official response. In the statement, Binance said the Greek authority had completed its review, found the documents accurate, notified ESMA, and planned to approve the license at its next meeting.
The choice of Greece as a reference jurisdiction carried significant risks from the beginning. As of June 2026, the HCMC had not issued a single MiCA license to any cryptocurrency company.
Ultimately, the application was officially rejected. Now, unless Binance receives authorization in another European country by June 30, the exchange will legally lose the right to serve EU residents from July 1, 2026.
Binance Plans To Stay In The EU And Try Again
Despite the rejection, Binance management has no plans to scale back its European business. The company has confirmed its intention to comply with MiCA rules and operate within the EU legal framework.
Its main priority now is protecting the interests of retail clients. Binance says it will notify users directly about further steps and available options by June 30, 2026.
The situation looks challenging for the platform. Its main competitors have already registered under MiCA and gained a significant strategic advantage.
| Crypto Exchange | MiCA Registration Country | Available Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Ireland, since June 2025 | All 30 EEA countries |
| OKX | Malta | All EEA countries |
| Crypto.com | Malta | All EEA countries |
| Bitstamp | Luxembourg | All EEA countries |
| Bitpanda | Austria | All EEA countries |
Binance’s previous local registrations in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, and Lithuania no longer provide the same legal effect under MiCA. As a result, these registrations do not allow the company to use the European passporting mechanism to operate freely across the continent.
If Binance’s new application is not approved in the coming days, European users may begin moving to Coinbase, Kraken, Crypto.com, or other platforms that have spent the past two years investing heavily in European regulatory compliance.
