Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has quietly established a corporate presence in Greece, a move that comes as national regulators prepare for the implementation of the EU’s new crypto-asset framework.
Founded in 2017, Binance allows retail and institutional investors to buy, sell and trade digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and thousands of other cryptocurrencies. Over time, it has expanded well beyond spot trading, offering services that include digital asset custody, currency conversion, derivatives, staking and crypto lending. The group also operates its own digital token, Binance Coin (BNB), which is used for transactions and services across its ecosystem.
According to corporate records, Binance Holdings (IE) Limited has incorporated a new wholly owned entity in Greece under the name Binary Greece. The company has been set up as a single-shareholder public limited company with initial share capital of €25,000. Its establishment marks Binance’s first formal corporate footprint in the country.
Binary Greece is structured as a holding company. Under its articles of association, its core purpose is the direct or indirect acquisition and management of equity participations in companies in Greece and abroad, as well as the provision of advisory services related to capital structure, investments and liquidity management. The company has been incorporated for an indefinite duration, suggesting a long-term strategic presence rather than a temporary arrangement.
The role of managing director has been assigned to Gillian Majella Lynch, a senior executive with extensive experience in banking and fintech and a prominent role within the Binance group. Lynch joined Binance in mid-2025 as Head of Europe and the United Kingdom, with responsibility for expanding the group’s regional presence and coordinating its regulatory and supervisory relationships across European markets. Prior to this, she served as chief executive of Gemini Europe and held senior management positions at Bank of Ireland and fintech firm Leveris.
Binance’s move appears to have prompted the executive committee of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission to launch a fast-track process to appoint external advisers to assist with the review of a licensing application from what it describes as a “crypto-asset service provider of critical supervisory importance with broad international presence”. While no company has been named publicly, market participants see the timing as unlikely to be coincidental.
In its decision, the Greek regulator pointed to the complexity of the licensing file and the need for highly specialised expertise, noting that external advisors with deep experience in regulatory, supervisory and organisational matters are required to ensure a thorough assessment under the MiCA framework. To that end, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission has invited five major international audit and advisory firms to submit technical and financial proposals: Ernst & Young, KPMG, Grant Thornton, Deloitte and PwC Business Solutions.
