Greece Gets First MiCA Entrants, HCMC Denies Binance-Lagarde Claim

Greece has entered the European Union’s crypto regulatory register for the first time, with four providers added.

Four Greek providers — BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank — appeared on the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) register updated Thursday.

Six other crypto-asset service providers from Germany, France and Slovenia were added, bringing the register to 359 unique providers.

The distinction of becoming Greece’s first MiCA-authorized provider could instead have gone to Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume. A Greek authorization would have allowed Binance to offer services throughout the EU under MiCA’s passporting system, but the exchange withdrew its application on June 24 before the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) issued a formal decision.

Nearly three months later, the Wall Street Journal reported that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde had intervened to block the application. The Journal said HCMC denied that its officials made the comments attributed to them but did not elaborate. The regulator has now expanded on that denial in comments to Cointelegraph.

Greece splits MiCA oversight

Greece’s first MiCA entries show how the country divides crypto oversight between the HCMC and its central bank.

The HCMC is listed as the competent authority for BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece, while the Bank of Greece is listed as the competent authority for Piraeus Bank, a major Greek lender.

The split reflects Greece’s implementation of MiCA, which allows member states to designate more than one competent authority and divide regulatory responsibilities between them.

HCMC expands denial of reported remarks to Binance

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 18 that ECB President Lagarde had intervened in Binance’s Greek MiCA application after Greek officials indicated that HCMC intended to approve it.

The report said an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve the application.

HCMC said in a written response to Cointelegraph that no official made the reported remarks and that it received no communication about Binance’s application from Mitsotakis, his office, the Finance Ministry or other Greek government officials.

“HCMC categorically rejects the assertions attributed to it,” the regulator said. “No HCMC official has had any communication with any ECB official on this matter, and none of the reported statements were made by HCMC or its officials.”

Asked specifically whether its denial covered the report that a vice chair made those remarks to Binance, HCMC said it did.

Related: Banks double on EU MiCA crypto provider list as share hits 23%

Binance previously declined to address the reported intervention, telling Cointelegraph it would “not comment on speculation” while reaffirming its commitment to securing MiCA authorization in Europe. The ECB also declined to comment on the report.

Cointelegraph contacted Mitsotakis’ office for comment but did not receive a response.

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