Poland Sejm Falls Short on Crypto Bill Override as Zondacrypto Probe Expands

Polish lawmakers failed to overturn President Karol Nawrocki's veto of crypto legislation on Friday, with the Sejm's lower house voting 241-198 in favor of override, falling 25 votes short of the required 266-seat three-fifths majority. Three members abstained. The defeat marked yet another setback for the country's efforts to establish a national framework for the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), which has already applied across all EU member states since late 2024. Poland remains without a designated crypto market supervisor, with the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) unable to formally assume oversight responsibilities under the stalled legislation.

President Nawrocki has now vetoed the crypto bill three times, arguing that the proposed rules would overregulate the industry by imposing excessive compliance costs and granting authorities sweeping powers to block websites. Despite his stated support for crypto regulation in principle, Nawrocki has insisted the legislation requires significant revision before it can take effect. The regulatory gridlock has drawn sharp criticism from Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who seized on the Friday vote to press lawmakers toward tighter oversight of digital asset operators operating in Poland.

Tusk's push for stronger rules comes amid a deepening scandal involving defunct Polish crypto exchange Zondacrypto and its Estonian operator, which was recently declared bankrupt. Ahead of the vote, the prime minister disclosed testimony from a key witness in the investigation alleging a 2 million Polish zloty (approximately $550,000) payment arrangement involving a foundation linked to former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro. Separate testimony cited by Tusk claimed an unnamed individual had promised to secure a presidential pardon for the witness if convicted. Polish prosecutors are investigating suspected fraud and money laundering connected to Zondacrypto, and in July they merged the case with a separate probe into the 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, founder of BitBay, which was later rebranded as Zondacrypto. Estimated losses tied to the exchange are already substantial, with prosecutors in April placing the figure at no less than significant levels that continue to climb as the investigation expands.