Binance to halt EU crypto services from July 1 as Greece MiCA license is withdrawn

Binance Holdings Ltd. is set to stop key crypto trading and exchange services for users across the European Union from July 1, 2026, when MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) fully takes effect. For PSPs and crypto merchants, the message is straightforward: Binance is adjusting its EU footprint to the new licensing regime, and the next authorization choice matters.

1. A few days before the deadline, Binance withdrew its MiCA crypto license application in Greece. The company said it will “pursue authorization in another EU Member State” instead. The withdrawal came after the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), Greece’s primary financial regulator, raised serious concerns about Binance’s complex corporate structure and past regulatory issues.
2. Binance has not named the next jurisdiction, but the text points to France as a possible target for a MiCA crypto license. That would fit the company’s broader European approach: it is already regulated by Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and operates as a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) in France and Italy, and as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Spain and Poland.
3. The company framed the move around liquidity rather than compliance optics. Binance noted that the EU “could benefit from its deep liquidity,” and former CEO and founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) repeated that line on June 26, 2026, writing on X: “Sad to see the EU cutting its users off from the best liquidity in the world. Liquidity is the best consumer protection.”
4. At press time, Binance said it had more than 322 million users across over 18 licensed jurisdictions. That scale is the practical reason high-risk payment players should care: when a venue this large reorganizes around MiCA, it can change where users are onboarded, where trading is offered, and which payment and settlement partners can stay in the chain.
5. Binance has also recently launched stock trading, letting users interact with traditional finance through tokenization. The company said users can trade AI stocks across different jurisdictions using crypto assets, while EU stock trading may not be available in the same way. In other words, the MiCA license is not just a box-ticking exercise; it is tied to near-term product expansion in Europe.