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On the withdrawal of the two applications he had submitted to Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of Greece The Court held that the Binance, after «block» met in Greece.
The biggest Cryptonomie exchange in the world it seems to abandon, at least for the time being, its attempt to leave the country and now turn its eye on France.
Although all sides consider the wrecking of the process to be a matter of fact, «M» report that no official communication yet between the company and the Greek authorities.
Sources with excellent knowledge of the case describe in «M» an intense background around the licensing of the kryptonomema colossus, which is known for its often Conflict relations With Regulatory Authorities. In fact, the maximum levels of the Binance administration are closely monitored.
«Not welcome in Europe»
In discussions within the company, the view that «the process was politicized» and how the European Central Bank He played a decisive role as he allegedly conveyed to the Greek authorities the message that «Binance not welcome in Europe».
This attitude is reportedly linked to the supervision of the trillion dollar cryptocurrency industry. The European Regulatory Authorities have been trying for years to tighten up control of cryptocurrencies. They have also warned that without adequate supervision, the industry could cause market turbulence.
Sources from the Greek side, which spoke to «M» under anonymity status, confirm the information on «negative position» on behalf of the ECB. «The Greek government wished to invest and positively faced the possibility of the establishment of Binance in the country. The first concern expressed a TTE consultant group and advice was then sought by the ECB, executives of which reminded the Greek side of their standing vis-à-vis the crypto-currency market.», report the same sources.
Both the Ministry of Finance and the Securities and Exchange Commission Current «radio silence» On the subject, while sources were asked by «M» They spoke of «confidential procedure».
The licence«Passport»
The authorisation granted by a national supervisory authority shall act as the «Passport» for Activity in all 27 Member States of the European Union. On the basis of the new European regulatory framework MiCA, crypto-currency companies must be authorised until the end of June to continue providing services throughout the Union. Binance surprised in January 2026 by choosing Greece as the basis for its European licensing, filing an application for a MiCA licence (Markets in Crypto-Assets).
Meetings
From the first moment, Binance and the Greek government kept open channels of communication, with regular meetings every 15 days at the Ministry of Finance. According to persons who participated in them and spoke with «M», the Greek side never provided explicit commitments for the company's authorisation.
Chinese Canadian Changpeng Zhao, founder of the Binance crypto-exchange company, at an event for start-ups and technological entrepreneurship in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022. Photo: RES-AE
On the basis of information from the «M», the Greek block He surprised the management of Binance. Until the last few weeks, the company was normally planning for Greece, having even begun recruitment procedures, which were suspended after the latest developments. The planned investment is estimated to generate around EUR 200 million in tax revenues and 100 jobs. Binance's plans also included creation of a technology and innovation hub, while its presence in the country would strengthen the position of Greece in the field of fintech and blockchain.
Legal adventures
Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange with tens of billion-dollar transactions, and is also known for its conflicts with Regulatory Authorities.
Founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (Changpeng Zhao), known internationally as «CZ», Chinese-born developer who grew up in Canada. Prior to the creation of Binance he had worked on the development of electronic trading systems and crypto-currency platforms. Within just a few months of its establishment, the company evolved into the largest crypto-currency exchange worldwide.
Its rapid development, however, was accompanied by severe legal adventures in the USAIn November 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced settlement with Binance over $4 billion. The company admitted violations of legislation to combat money laundering, operation without the required permits and violation of international sanctions. Zhao pleaded guilty, resigned from the CEO position and was sentenced to 4 months in prison.
The US authorities argued that Binance allowed transactions related to countries under sanctions and did not have sufficient control mechanisms. The then Minister of Justice, Merrick Garland, described the case as one of the biggest criminal arrangements.
Merrick Garland (centre), at a press conference on 21 November 2023, announces that Changpeng Zhao confessed to his guilt. On the left, then US Finance Minister Janet Yelen. Photo: RES-AE
The case came to light in October 2025, when the American president, Donald Trump, granted Zhao a presidential pardon. The decision joined the wider opening of the Trump administration to the crypto-currency industry and provoked political reactions, as critics spoke of a possible conflict of interest due to the Trump family's ties with the krypton-currency industry.
