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- Greece now has four crypto-asset service providers listed under the European Union’s MiCA framework.
- The authorised firms are BCASH, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank.
- Binance remains unlisted in the ESMA register after withdrawing its Greek application.
Greece now has four crypto-asset service providers listed under the European Union’s MiCA framework, months after Binance withdrew its own Greek application. The authorised firms are BCASH, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank.
The additions come as Greek authorities push back on reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde influenced the handling of Binance’s application. Greece’s capital markets regulator says licensing decisions are made independently under European and national law.
Four Greek Providers Enter MiCA Register
BCASH received its authorisation on June 30 to exchange crypto-assets for funds. The Hellenic Capital Market Commission then authorised Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece on July 22.
Xenios is licensed to receive and transmit crypto orders, while Capital Wallet can provide custody, exchange, order execution, order transmission and transfer services. Piraeus Bank received authorisation from the Bank of Greece on Aug. 7 for custody, order execution, order transmission and crypto transfers.
Greek Watchdog Says Binance Licensing Process Was Independent
The licensing record follows renewed scrutiny of Binance’s failed attempt to obtain MiCA approval through Greece. Lagarde reportedly urged Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to support the application as European regulators reviewed Binance’s compliance record.
The Hellenic Capital Market Commission said it operates independently and is not subject to political or other direction. It said any decision on Binance would have been based only on the applicable licensing requirements had the exchange not withdrawn its application.
The Bank of Greece separately said Governor Yannis Stournaras and Lagarde had no direct contact over the issue and that it neither requested nor received outside pressure.
Binance Withdrew Greek MiCA Application On June 24
Binance withdrew its MiCA application on June 24 and said it would seek authorisation in another EU member state. The exchange had previously said it understood that the Greek regulator had completed its review and considered its application compliant with MiCA requirements.
Binance has not disclosed where it will apply next. It also does not appear among MiCA-authorised providers in the ESMA register, leaving its next European licensing route unresolved while Greece begins operating with its first authorised providers.
