Greece has appeared on the European Union's crypto regulatory register for the first time, with four domestic providers granted listings under the bloc's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. MiCA establishes a common regulatory framework for crypto-asset services across the EU, with national authorities responsible for supervising providers in their jurisdictions.

Four Greek firms — BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group, Capital Wallet Greece and Piraeus Bank — were added to the MiCA register maintained by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in an update published Thursday. Six further crypto-asset service providers from Germany, France and Slovenia joined them in the same update, lifting the total number of unique providers on the register to 359.

Had events unfolded differently, the distinction of being Greece's first MiCA-authorized provider might have gone to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume. Authorization from Greece would have allowed the exchange to offer services across the entire EU under MiCA's passporting regime, but Binance withdrew its application on June 24, before the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) issued a formal decision.

Almost three months after the withdrawal, the Wall Street Journal reported that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde had intervened to block the application. According to the newspaper, HCMC denied that its officials had made the comments attributed to them, though it offered no elaboration at the time. The regulator has now expanded on that denial in written comments to Cointelegraph.

Greece divides MiCA oversight

Greece's first MiCA entries illustrate how the country allocates crypto supervision between two institutions: the HCMC and its central bank.

The HCMC is listed as the competent authority for BCash, Xenios Blockchain Group and Capital Wallet Greece, while the Bank of Greece is named as the competent authority for Piraeus Bank, one of the country's major lenders.

The arrangement reflects Greece's implementation of MiCA, which allows member states to designate more than one competent authority and divide regulatory responsibilities between them.

HCMC widens its denial of reported remarks to Binance

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 18 that ECB President Lagarde had intervened in Binance's Greek MiCA application after Greek officials indicated that the HCMC intended to approve it. The report said an HCMC vice chair told Binance that Lagarde had asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve the application.

In a written response to Cointelegraph, the HCMC said that no official made the reported remarks and that it had received no communication about Binance's application from Mitsotakis, his office, the Finance Ministry or other Greek government officials.

“HCMC categorically rejects the assertions attributed to it,” the regulator said. “No HCMC official has had any communication with any ECB official on this matter, and none of the reported statements were made by HCMC or its officials.”

Asked specifically whether the denial covered the report that a vice chair had made those remarks to Binance, the HCMC said it did.

Binance previously declined to address the reported intervention, telling Cointelegraph it would “not comment on speculation” while reaffirming its commitment to securing MiCA authorization in Europe. The ECB has also declined to comment on the report. Cointelegraph contacted Mitsotakis' office for comment but did not receive a response.