Binance MiCA license is now being pursued in France. The crypto exchange is reportedly in discussions with the AMF after its application in Greece faced a major roadblock.
According to The Big Whale report, Binance is seeking a pan‑EU MiCA license in France. This comes after ECB President Christine Lagarde expressed opposition to a Greek application just before the July 1 deadline.
Why Binance MiCA license in France matters
The crypto exchange has not yet filed a formal application. Nevertheless, “everything is ready.” The reasons behind this refusal are more political than regulatory.
Specifically, the ECB likely targeted stablecoins. Binance serves as the primary liquidity channel for these assets in Europe. Therefore, cutting off its access to this market would strengthen, by constraint, the position of the future Digital Euro.
Notably, Binance already has a digital asset service provider (DASP) registration with the AMF in France. This registration allows limited operations, including custody and spot trading.
Exchange faces license rejection in Greece
As previously reported, Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) is preparing to reject Binance’s MiCA license application. The decision, if confirmed, would prevent Binance from serving EU clients once the transitional period ends on July 1.
Consequently, this presents a setback for the crypto exchange. Under the new EU rules, crypto firms have until the end of this month to obtain a license that allows them to operate in the region. Therefore, a Binance MiCA license in France could help it boost crypto adoption across the EU.
Binance applied for the MiCA license in Greece in January this year. The exchange reportedly established a local holding company in Athens. That may also have prompted the decision to apply for the license through Greece.
Binance pushes back
Binance has pushed back against the Greek application refusal. It claimed the exchange remains fully committed to securing a MiCA license and operating under a unified European framework.
“We are committed to our European users and to operating under a clear, fair, and harmonised MiCA framework,” said co‑CEO Richard Teng. He added, “We are dedicated to securing our MiCA licence and remain ready to operate under a fair, predictable, and genuinely harmonised European framework.”
Market reaction
BNB price has dropped more than 3% to $588 over the past 24hours. This followed a hawkish Federal Reserve tone. Additionally, total futures open interest fell almost to $877 million amid market selloffs.