Greece has been added to the European Union's MiCA register for the first time: on Thursday, four providers—BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece, and Piraeus Bank—were included. At the same time, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) issued a broader denial of statements attributed to it regarding Christine Lagarde's alleged involvement in Binance's Greek application.

ESMA Register Reaches 359 Providers After Update

Alongside the Greek companies, the latest ESMA register update added six more providers from Germany, France, and Slovenia. As a result, the list now includes 359 unique participants.

Supervision Split Between HCMC and Bank of Greece

HCMC is listed as the competent authority for BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, and Capital Wallet Greece, while the Bank of Greece is responsible for Piraeus Bank. This division reflects MiCA's implementation, which allows for the appointment of multiple competent authorities and the division of regulatory powers within a country.

HCMC Denies Reports of Lagarde's Influence on Binance Application

On September 18, reports suggested that ECB President Christine Lagarde may have influenced the review of Binance's Greek application. In a written response, HCMC stated that it "categorically denies the statements attributed to it"; according to the regulator, its representatives have not communicated with ECB officials on this matter and have not received any requests regarding Binance's application from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his office, the Ministry of Finance, or other government representatives. In response to a follow-up question, the commission confirmed that the denial also covers reports of comments allegedly made by the vice-chairman regarding Binance.

Binance Withdrew Greek Application on June 24

Binance could have become the first MiCA-authorized provider in Greece, but the exchange withdrew its application on June 24, before HCMC issued a formal decision. Greek authorization would have allowed the exchange to offer services across the EU under the MiCA "passporting" system.