Financial and Business News

France Warns Binance Among 90 Unlicensed Crypto Firms; Exchange Seeks Greek MiCA License

Friday, 23/01/2026 | 09:53 GMT by Tareq Sikder
  • Greece has yet to issue any MiCA licenses; Germany, Netherlands lead approvals.
  • MiCA rules now cover traditional firms; KBC, a Belgian bank, plans Bitcoin services and expects approval.
Athens Greece
Athens Greece

Binance has submitted an application for authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in Greece. The application follows warnings from regulators in other EU states.

France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers said Binance was among 90 crypto firms registered in the country that remain unlicensed under MiCA. The regulator said firms must comply with the rules or stop operating in France.

Last year, Binance began restricting services for European users ahead of MiCA’s compliance deadline. The exchange blocked copy trading and asked users to close positions. It also limited products linked to unregulated stablecoins while maintaining spot trading, deposits, and withdrawals. These were among the first large-scale MiCA compliance steps by a major exchange.

Binance Engages HCMC on EU Regulation

A Binance spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph that the company had applied for a MiCA license in Greece. The spokesperson said Binance is working with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission.

“We welcome the opportunity to work closely with the HCMC as this new regulation takes shape in the EU and look forward to contributing to the long-term growth of the EU’s digital financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said.

Germany, Netherlands Lead EU MiCA Authorizations

Public data from the European Securities and Markets Authority show that Greece has not yet issued any MiCA licenses to crypto-asset service providers.

Germany and the Netherlands have issued the highest number of MiCA licenses in the EU, with 43 and 22 authorizations. France has granted 11 licenses through the AMF.

MiCA Licensing Expands Beyond Crypto Firms

MiCA licensing is also extending beyond crypto-native firms. Recently, KBC, a Belgian bank, announced plans to launch Bitcoin services and said it expects to obtain a MiCA license in Belgium, which has not yet issued any authorizations.

KuCoin’s European unit has received a MiCA license in Austria. The approval allows KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH to offer regulated crypto services across 29 countries in the European Economic Area, excluding Malta.

Binance has submitted an application for authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in Greece. The application follows warnings from regulators in other EU states.

France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers said Binance was among 90 crypto firms registered in the country that remain unlicensed under MiCA. The regulator said firms must comply with the rules or stop operating in France.

Last year, Binance began restricting services for European users ahead of MiCA’s compliance deadline. The exchange blocked copy trading and asked users to close positions. It also limited products linked to unregulated stablecoins while maintaining spot trading, deposits, and withdrawals. These were among the first large-scale MiCA compliance steps by a major exchange.

Binance Engages HCMC on EU Regulation

A Binance spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph that the company had applied for a MiCA license in Greece. The spokesperson said Binance is working with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission.

“We welcome the opportunity to work closely with the HCMC as this new regulation takes shape in the EU and look forward to contributing to the long-term growth of the EU’s digital financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said.

Germany, Netherlands Lead EU MiCA Authorizations

Public data from the European Securities and Markets Authority show that Greece has not yet issued any MiCA licenses to crypto-asset service providers.

Germany and the Netherlands have issued the highest number of MiCA licenses in the EU, with 43 and 22 authorizations. France has granted 11 licenses through the AMF.

MiCA Licensing Expands Beyond Crypto Firms

MiCA licensing is also extending beyond crypto-native firms. Recently, KBC, a Belgian bank, announced plans to launch Bitcoin services and said it expects to obtain a MiCA license in Belgium, which has not yet issued any authorizations.

KuCoin’s European unit has received a MiCA license in Austria. The approval allows KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH to offer regulated crypto services across 29 countries in the European Economic Area, excluding Malta.

Topics
crypto
MiCA
binance
crypto license
About the Author: Tareq Sikder
Tareq Sikder
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A Forex technical analyst and writer who has been engaged in financial writing for 12 years.

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