WSJ: European Central Bank President Lagarde Personally Intervened to Block Binance from Entering the European Market

Foresight News reports, according to The Wall Street Journal, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde personally intervened to block Binance from entering the European market. Binance had originally planned to make a major announcement in late May, which would have opened the European market to the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. According to sources, Greek officials informed the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Digital Finance Committee in early June that the regulatory body intended to approve Binance's license. A company press release themed "Major Milestone" had also been prepared. A few days later, sources revealed that a senior official from the Greek regulatory agency told Binance that Lagarde had personally intervened to block the license application. After making a last-ditch effort to secure approval from European authorities, Binance's plan ultimately failed. Due to its inability to obtain a license before the EU's new cryptocurrency regulations set a July deadline, Binance was forced to cease promoting services to the EU's 450 million residents.