The recovery began about 18 months ago, before the first MiCA rules came into effect, she said. Stablecoin regulations began to apply around a year ago and crypto-asset service providers went through a transition period before the deadline of July 1, 2026. After this date, companies relying on old national regimes will no longer be able to provide MiCA-regulated services in the EU.
The requests come from entrepreneurs frustrated by bureaucracy and regulatory constraints in Europe.
“It’s not just random guys,” she said. “These are former founders or current founders, someone with multiple exits, someone with years of experience in crypto.”
This deadline is already reshaping the competitive landscape. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, pulled its MiCA app in Greece last week and informed EU users that it would suspend some services while seeking another regulatory path. The company said it remains committed to Europe.
“Our ambitions in Europe remain the same and we are confident that we will obtain a MiCA license in the coming months,” Binance said in a statement to CoinDesk on Thursday.
Rivals try to capitalize. OKX and Coinbase (COIN) announced bonuses of up to 8% of total deposits and transfers for new users the next day.
