Greece entered the European Union crypto register after licensing four authorized service providers. The official records were published through the ESMA MiCA register update released on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The registered Greek entities include BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece, and Piraeus Bank. Alongside entries from Germany, France, and Slovenia, the European benchmark reached 359 unique authorized providers.
Supervisory responsibilities were split under local legislation. The Hellenic Capital Market Commission directly oversees BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, and Capital Wallet Greece, following guidelines for competent authorities under MiCA allowing divided national remits.
The Bank of Greece serves as the competent authority for Piraeus Bank. MiCA provisions allow member states to assign distinct regulatory roles depending on whether an applicant is a credit institution or a crypto firm.
The registry additions follow procedural controversy surrounding earlier applications. Binance withdrew its Greek licensing request on June 24, 2026, prior to any formal ruling from the HCMC.
Securing Greek authorization would have granted passporting rights across all member states. The exchange had encountered regulatory hurdles elsewhere in Europe, including instances where Binance faced app store removals across multiple European markets after missing compliance deadlines.
Tensions escalated on September 18, 2026, when The Wall Street Journal reported that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde intervened against the approval. The publication claimed an HCMC vice chair stated that Lagarde blocked Binance foothold by appealing directly to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The HCMC rejected that account in written statements issued on September 29, 2026. The regulator stated that no official communicated with ECB leadership regarding Binance’s filing.
The watchdog confirmed it received no contact from Prime Minister Mitsotakis, his staff, or the Finance Ministry concerning the file. HCMC clarified that its denial explicitly includes the remarks attributed to its vice chair.
Binance declined to address the claims directly, reiterating its intention to secure MiCA authorizations across the European Union. Both the ECB and the Greek Prime Minister’s office declined to comment on the matter.
