On July 7, the European Parliament approved an official political position on further regulation of digital assets. The document, titled "Digital Assets – Challenges for the Competitiveness and Integrity of the EU Financial System," does not directly amend the MiCA regulation or create new legal obligations for crypto companies. However, it is a clear signal: regulators intend to close the remaining gaps.

Four Sectors in the Crosshairs

Parliamentarians are calling for clear rules in areas that have so far remained outside the scope of MiCA:

  • Decentralized Finance (DeFi);
  • Crypto lending and borrowing;
  • Staking;
  • Non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

This decision came immediately after the end of the MiCA transitional period on July 1, when all crypto companies in the EU were required to obtain a license. The main goal of policymakers is to prevent fragmentation of the single market, where individual bloc countries create their own local rules.

Euro Stablecoins and RWA: Green Light

Notably, regulators positively assessed the development of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) and euro stablecoins. In their view, with a competent approach, these instruments can enhance the competitiveness of the EU's financial system. This is an important signal for issuers targeting the European market.

The European Parliament also opened public consultations on a possible expansion of MiCA in May 2026. The goal is to gather feedback on potential changes: including additional types of crypto activities and revising restrictions related to yield-bearing stablecoins.

Binance: A Strategic Maneuver

Against this backdrop, on June 24, Binance withdrew its application for a MiCA license in Greece. The exchange stated its intention to obtain authorization in another EU country but did not disclose which one. On July 4, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng clarified the situation: "Binance is not leaving Europe and is not abandoning MiCA. Europe remains an important market." He emphasized that the company seeks to find a constructive path through proper channels and awaits license approval within the established timelines.

Teng noted that Europe has a chance to become a global leader in digital asset regulation, but this requires predictable and consistent implementation of rules. "Fragmented implementation of MiCA could deprive the EU of this opportunity," he warned.

Recall that on June 29, the exchange Bybit also warned of a phased restriction of services for residents of the European Economic Area.

My analysis: Expanding MiCA to DeFi and NFTs is a logical step, but its implementation will require a delicate balance between innovation and control. Regulating fully decentralized protocols, where there are no traditional intermediaries, will be particularly challenging. If the EU succeeds in this task, it could indeed set a global standard. If the approach proves too rigid, we risk seeing an outflow of capital and talent to more friendly jurisdictions.