ECB chief Lagarde personally blocked Binance's EU MiCA license

ECB President Christine Lagarde personally intervened to block Binance's MiCA license application in Greece, according to the Wall Street Journal, even though the ECB holds no formal licensing authority under the EU crypto framework. Officials reportedly cited concerns that the exchange would deepen dollar stablecoin use in Europe and undermine the digital euro, prompting Greece to stall an application regulators had previously deemed complete.

The intervention highlights political pressure shaping the EU's MiCA licensing process beyond strict statutory authority, and ties Binance's regulatory path to the eurozone's digital currency ambitions.