Report: ECB President Christine Lagarde allegedly pressured Greece to block Binance's MiCA license

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde allegedly urged Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to deny Binance's MiCA license application. While the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) denies such pressure and the ECB holds no formal role in CASP approvals, Binance withdrew its Greek license application in mid-June 2026. The report suggests the intervention was motivated by Binance's 2023 U.S. guilty plea and concerns regarding stablecoin expansion.