Binance applies for MiCA license, plans to establish European headquarters in Greece
The world’s largest crypto exchange does not want to abandon the important European market. That is why Binance is now pursuing a European license and turning to Greek authorities. The company has established both a holding company there and submitted a formal application for a MiCA license. This step comes against the backdrop of intensified scrutiny by French regulators and an escalating conflict over enforcement of the Markets-in-Crypto-Assets Regulation, which has been fully applicable since December 2024. By July 1, 2026, all crypto platforms operating in the EU must provide appropriate authorization, otherwise they face exclusion from the European market.
The French banking regulator ACPR identified significant deficiencies in Binance’s risk control systems during inspections, while intensive anti-money laundering reviews are running in parallel at dozens of crypto exchanges. Of over 100 platforms registered in France, only four have received full authorization so far—a success rate of four percent. In contrast, competitors such as Kraken, Binance, KuCoin, Bybit, Coinbase, and OKX have already obtained MiCA-compliant licenses and now operate in all countries of the European Economic Area or will soon launch. Overall, more than 50 crypto companies now hold MiCA approval—Binance cannot be missing.
Stablecoins: Clear Winners and Losers
In the stablecoin sector, a clear market consolidation is emerging. While Tether, despite its market dominance, has not yet received a MiCA license and has already been removed from several EU exchanges, Circle with EURC and USDC, Société Générale-Forge with EURCV and USDCV, and Membrane Finance with EURe and eUSD have successfully cleared the regulatory hurdle. Notably, most approved stablecoins are denominated in euros, suggesting a strategic realignment of the European crypto market.
The consequences for non-compliant companies are drastic. Regulators have already imposed fines exceeding 540 million euros against crypto firms that violated regulatory requirements. After the deadline in July 2026, all tolerance ends, and companies without appropriate authorization irrevocably lose their operating license in the European Union. For Binance and other pending applicants, the clock is ticking, while already-licensed competitors continuously expand their market position.
Binance Entered 2026 Optimistically
Binance co-CEOs Yi He and Richard Teng, whose team serves approximately 300 million customers, showed greater optimism than ever in their 2026 outlook. They identified five converging forces that will drive the market from “uncertain expansion” to “secure expansion”: robust global economic growth despite trade conflicts, an impending technological revolution (AI, quantum computing, fusion), increased government liquidity provision to households and businesses, the resumption of balance sheet expansion by the Federal Reserve with further interest rate cuts, and expected regulatory clarity through the “RFIA/CLARITY Act,” which is intended to define rules for on-chain assets. This combination of macroeconomic tailwinds, monetary easing, fiscal support, and regulatory clarity makes the long-term development of on-chain assets and applications far more predictable.
The CEOs particularly emphasized that coming growth will no longer be based solely on sentiment and hype, but driven by two fundamental factors: state capital at the sovereign level and enterprise-grade applications. When nations discuss Bitcoin as a strategic reserve and on-chain assets grow from billions to trillions, it is no longer just a “bull market,” but a fundamental redesign of financial infrastructure. In this environment, Binance intends to continue functioning as a “road builder” and is increasing investment in security, compliance, and education to provide all users with safe access to the crypto world.
