Zhao Changpeng: Binance's Greek MiCA license application was close to approval but was forced to withdraw due to external factors

According to The Block, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng stated that the MiCA license application submitted by Binance in Greece fully complied with regulatory requirements and was close to approval before being withdrawn, but ultimately the process was interrupted due to "external political factors."

In an interview, Zhao Changpeng mentioned that several countries within the EU had expressed interest in the license, and there was even a certain degree of "competitive pursuit," but the regulatory progress was ultimately affected by non-regulatory factors, forcing the application to be withdrawn. Binance officially withdrew its application in Greece last week and stated that it would turn to other EU member states to continue pursuing MiCA authorization.

In response to market rumors regarding his connections with high-level EU politicians, Zhao Changpeng stated that he had not seen any verifiable documents and only saw similar claims online, which he did not confirm. Zhao Changpeng also pointed out that the EU MiCA transition period will officially end on July 1, at which time platforms that have not obtained licenses must cease related services. Regulatory agencies in various countries have made it clear that they will not postpone enforcement, and they evaluate this outcome as a "lose-lose situation," using the regulatory processes in Japan and Singapore as examples to emphasize that compliance processes often require a longer period.

Additionally, when discussing Strategy's STRC preferred stock product, Zhao Changpeng stated that its structure is "too complex" and expressed difficulty in fully understanding its mechanism, but emphasized that he does not comment on the credibility of its founder Michael Saylor, considering him a "staunch supporter of Bitcoin."