Greece Records Its First MiCA-Authorized Providers
Greece has entered a new phase of its crypto regulatory rollout, with four Greek providers appearing in the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) register.
The four providers are BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank. They were included in the latest ESMA MiCA register, which provides public information on crypto-asset service providers authorized under the EU framework. ESMA's latest available register was updated on September 24, 2026.
The broader update also added crypto-asset service providers from Germany, France and Slovenia. According to the supplied report, the additions brought the register to 359 unique providers.
The Greek entries are significant because they establish the first group of providers from Greece to appear under the EU's common MiCA authorization framework.
HCMC and Bank of Greece Share Regulatory Responsibilities
The four Greek providers are not all supervised by the same authority.
BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece are listed under the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), while Piraeus Bank is associated with the Bank of Greece.
This reflects MiCA's structure, which allows member states to designate competent authorities to carry out the regulation's functions. ESMA's MiCA rules on competent authorities explain how national authorities are designated and how responsibilities can be divided within a member state.
The HCMC-authorized firms received their approvals at different points. According to the supplied report, BCash was authorized on June 30, 2026, while Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece received authorization on July 22, 2026.
What MiCA Authorization Means for Crypto Firms
MiCA establishes a common regulatory framework for crypto-asset services across the European Union. Instead of relying entirely on separate national rules, authorized crypto-asset service providers operate under a harmonized EU framework.
Under Article 59 of MiCA, a company generally cannot provide crypto-asset services in the EU unless it has been authorized as a crypto-asset service provider or qualifies under one of the specific categories set out by the regulation.
MiCA authorization can also allow an authorized provider to offer eligible services across the European Union through the framework's cross-border provisions. ESMA's Article 59 text states that authorized CASPs can provide services throughout the Union through the right of establishment or freedom to provide services, subject to the regulation's requirements.
That EU-wide structure is one reason authorization in a single member state can be strategically important for a crypto company seeking to operate across multiple European markets.
Binance Previously Sought MiCA Approval in Greece
Before Greece's first group of MiCA providers appeared in the register, Binance had been pursuing authorization through the HCMC.
The exchange had submitted a MiCA license application in Greece but ultimately withdrew it on June 24, 2026. Binance confirmed the decision in its own announcement, saying it had withdrawn the application with the HCMC and would instead pursue authorization in another EU member state.
Binance said it had reviewed the status and timeline of the Greek licensing process before deciding to change course. The company also said it had worked with the HCMC for many months and remained committed to obtaining MiCA authorization elsewhere in Europe.
The withdrawal meant Binance did not become the first Greek entrant into the EU's MiCA register.
Report Raises Questions About ECB Involvement
The Binance application later became the subject of a report concerning alleged intervention by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.
The reported account, as provided in the source material, alleged that Greek officials had indicated the HCMC intended to approve Binance's application. It further claimed that an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve the application.
Those claims remain reported allegations rather than established facts.
Binance previously declined to comment on what it described as speculation, while the ECB also declined to comment on the report according to the supplied material.
HCMC Expands Its Denial
The HCMC has now provided a broader denial of the reported claims.
According to the supplied report, the regulator said that no HCMC official made the reported remarks and that it received no communication about Binance's application from Mitsotakis, his office, the Greek Finance Ministry or other Greek government officials.
HCMC also said that no HCMC official communicated with an ECB official about Binance's application. When asked whether its denial specifically included the reported comments allegedly made by the HCMC vice chair to Binance, the regulator said that it did.
The HCMC's position therefore directly conflicts with the reported account concerning the alleged intervention. The available information does not establish independently that the alleged conversation occurred.
Binance Still Pursues a European MiCA License
Despite withdrawing its Greek application, Binance has not said that it is abandoning its European regulatory strategy.
In its June 24 announcement, Binance said it would pursue authorization in another EU member state and would announce the jurisdiction when it was ready. The exchange described Europe as an important market and said its commitment to operating under the EU's regulatory framework remained unchanged.
The timing was also significant because MiCA's transitional regime was reaching its final stage. ESMA states that crypto-asset service providers operating under applicable national rules before December 30, 2024 could generally continue until July 1, 2026, or until they received or were refused authorization, whichever came first.
ESMA subsequently reminded consumers to check its MiCA register when determining whether a crypto-asset service provider is authorized under the EU framework.
Greece's Crypto Market Moves Into the MiCA Framework
The arrival of four Greek providers in ESMA's register marks an important step in Greece's implementation of MiCA.
For the country's crypto sector, the development establishes a group of providers operating within the EU's harmonized regulatory system. The split between the HCMC and Bank of Greece also illustrates how national authorities can share responsibilities under the European framework.
For Binance, meanwhile, the Greek application is no longer part of its licensing path. The exchange has confirmed that it withdrew the application and plans to seek authorization elsewhere in the EU.
The allegations surrounding the withdrawal remain a separate and disputed part of the story. HCMC has categorically rejected the reported remarks and denied communication between its officials and the ECB concerning Binance's application.
As MiCA authorization becomes the primary regulatory framework for crypto-asset services across the EU, Greece's first entries provide a concrete example of how the system is being implemented at the national level.
