Binance EU License Bid Blocked by ECB Chief Lagarde

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde personally requested Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to reject Binance’s application for an EU cryptocurrency services license, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Lagarde cited Binance’s prior U.S. regulatory violations and concerns that widespread use of dollar stablecoins could weaken the ECB’s ongoing digital euro initiative. The Greek regulator had planned to approve Binance’s MiCA-compliant application in early June, which would have granted EU-wide licensing under the framework.

However, after Lagarde reportedly opposed the move, Greece’s securities watchdog (HCMC) informed Binance that the ECB chief was against the license. Binance subsequently withdrew its application ahead of a mid-June decision and halted marketing to EU users after missing a July deadline for license acquisition.