Binance declined to address reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde intervened in its failed Greek cryptocurrency license application, reiterating its long-term commitment to operate under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a vice chair of Greece's Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) informed Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to block the exchange's application. According to the report, Greek officials notified the European Securities and Markets Authority in early June that the regulator planned to approve the license.
"We will not comment on speculation," a Binance spokesperson told Cointelegraph. "In Europe, Binance remains committed to operating on a long-term, compliant basis under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation."
The reports add detail to growing uncertainty around Binance's Greek application, which the exchange filed in January. In mid-June, online reports emerged suggesting the HCMC was poised to reject the application, followed by subsequent reporting alleging Lagarde's intervention.
Binance subsequently withdrew its Greek application and stated it would seek authorization in another EU jurisdiction, just days before the July 1 MiCA implementation deadline.
Cointelegraph contacted the ECB and HCMC for comment but had not received responses by publication.
