TLDR
- Poland’s government plans to submit a new cryptocurrency bill this week.
- President Karol Nawrocki vetoed two earlier crypto regulation bills.
- Tusk said the new draft will include stricter penalties for crypto fraud.
- Prosecutors are investigating Zondacrypto for fraud and money laundering.
- Reported Zondacrypto losses are estimated at about PLN 350 million.
Poland government is preparing to introduce a new cryptocurrency bill this week, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk seeks another attempt to regulate the country’s digital asset market after two earlier proposals were blocked by President Karol Nawrocki.
Tusk said on Tuesday that the latest draft would largely follow the earlier versions, but would include stronger penalties for people who use cryptocurrency platforms to defraud investors or threaten state security. The government says the bill is aimed at improving oversight of crypto companies and bringing Poland closer to full compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, known as MiCA.
💬 Premier @donaldtusk👇 pic.twitter.com/fLzCf35fbw
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) May 5, 2026
The planned legislation comes during a criminal investigation into Zondacrypto, one of Poland’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Prosecutors in Katowice opened a case in April involving suspected fraud and money laundering. Reported losses have been estimated at around PLN 350 million, equal to about EUR 82 million, though investigators have said the amount may rise as the case develops.
Tusk said the government would submit the new draft to parliament by the end of the week. He stated that the revised bill would focus on punishing those who take advantage of inexperienced investors and create risks for the Polish state.
New Draft After Presidential Vetoes
The latest proposal is expected to create another dispute between Tusk’s centrist government and President Nawrocki, who is aligned with the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party. Nawrocki vetoed the two earlier cryptocurrency bills, arguing that they created excessive regulation and raised concerns about civil liberties.
The previous drafts sought to place crypto platforms under the supervision of Poland’s Financial Supervision Authority, known as the KNF. The government argued that stronger oversight was needed to protect investors and align domestic law with EU standards.
Nawrocki’s office has not yet said whether the president would support the revised version. His spokesman, Rafał Leśkiewicz, told Polish state news agency PAP that the government should present the full text before the president’s position is assessed.
Poland remains one of the EU countries still working to fully introduce rules connected to MiCA. The EU regulation is designed to set common standards for crypto service providers, including rules on authorization, consumer protection, transparency and market conduct.
Zondacrypto Investigation Raises Pressure
The political debate has intensified because of the investigation into Zondacrypto. Polish prosecutors are examining allegations that clients were unable to withdraw funds from the exchange and that the platform may have been used for money laundering.
Zondacrypto’s chief executive, Przemysław Kral, has denied wrongdoing and has said the company remains solvent. He has also rejected allegations of links to Russian intelligence, calling them unfounded.
Reports in Polish media have said Kral left Poland for Israel and holds Israeli citizenship, which could complicate any extradition process. The exchange’s founder, Sylwester Suszek, disappeared in 2022 under circumstances that have not been fully explained.
Polish news outlet Onet has reported that prosecutors believe the real owner of Zondacrypto may be a man known as “Maniek.” Other reports have referred to a domestic intelligence assessment linking the platform to a Russian organized crime group. Those claims remain part of the wider public debate around the company and have not been fully tested in court.
Tusk has previously told parliament that unregulated cryptocurrency channels were used by Belarusian security services to support illegal migration routes into Poland. The prime minister has referred to crypto regulation as both a financial and national security matter.
MiCA Rules and Polish Oversight
The government says the new cryptocurrency bill is needed to establish clear responsibilities for companies offering crypto services in Poland. Under the proposed approach, platforms would be subject to direct supervision by the KNF and would have to meet standards tied to EU law.
Supporters of the bill argue that Poland needs stronger tools to prevent fraud, protect retail investors and identify suspicious financial flows. Opponents have warned that overly broad rules could limit innovation and place heavy burdens on legitimate businesses.
The coming parliamentary debate is expected to focus on how far the state should go in regulating crypto platforms, especially after the Zondacrypto case drew public attention to risks in the sector. The government has said the new draft would not change the central structure of the earlier bills, apart from harsher penalties for fraud and activity seen as dangerous to national security.
The bill’s path will depend on whether the government can secure enough support in parliament and whether Nawrocki decides to sign or reject the measure. Until a new law is adopted, Poland’s cryptocurrency market will remain under a transitional framework while EU-level standards continue to shape the sector.
