Binance Greece MiCA License: Compliant and Nearly Approved, Political Factors Caused Withdrawal
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) revealed in an interview with The Block that the company's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license application submitted in Greece was fully compliant with regulatory requirements and close to receiving approval before being pulled. The process was interrupted by what CZ described as “external political factors.” According to CZ, multiple EU countries had expressed interest in hosting the license, even engaging in a degree of “competitive pursuit.” However, non-regulatory intervention forced the withdrawal. Binance formally withdrew its Greek application last week and announced it would shift focus to other EU member states to continue pursuing MiCA authorization.
Addressing market rumors linking Binance to high-level EU political figures, CZ said he had not seen any verifiable documents and had only encountered such claims online, which he could not confirm. He characterized the outcome as a “lose-lose situation” and cited the regulatory journeys of Japan and Singapore as examples where compliance often requires longer timelines.
EU MiCA Transition Period Approaching: July 1 Deadline, License Window Closing
CZ also warned that the MiCA transition period will end on July 1, after which unlicensed platforms must cease operations in the EU. National regulators have confirmed they will not grant extensions. With only days remaining before the deadline, any platform that has not completed registration faces the risk of exiting the European market. Binance's pivot strategy indicates it still views Europe as a key compliance market, but political hurdles could prolong its full authorization in the region.
CZ on STRC Preferred Stock: Too Complex, but Acknowledges Saylor as a Bitcoin Believer
When asked about Strategy's STRC preferred stock product, CZ commented that its structure is “too complex” and that he personally finds it difficult to fully understand the mechanism. However, he refrained from making any judgment on founder Michael Saylor's credibility, instead calling Saylor a “strong Bitcoin supporter.” This shows CZ's cautious stance on novel financial instruments while respecting the conviction of key Bitcoin advocates.