Morning Edition · Sunday, September 20, 2026Published at 1:45 AM EDT · New York

Lagarde Intervened to Stop Binance's European License, the Wall Street Journal Reported, as Licensing Costs Push a Rival Out of Brazil

The European Central Bank holds no licensing authority under the bloc's crypto rules, and the Argentine exchange Lemon is closing about 15,000 Brazilian accounts rather than meet new capital requirements.

According to a Wall Street Journal report relayed by Bitcoin Magazine, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde asked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to approve Binance's application for a license under the European Un…