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Polish Olympic Committee President Radosław Piszczek was arrested on Thursday, suspected of receiving kickbacks from the cryptocurrency platform Zondacrypto during the signing of a sponsorship agreement. Polish Sports Minister Jakub Rudnicki confirmed the arrest on the X platform, stating, "Such a person should not hold the position of President of the Polish Olympic Committee; Piszczek has brought shame to Polish sports." Interior Minister Marcin Kwiatkowski referred to him as "a symbol of extreme corruption plaguing the Olympic movement."According to the investigation, Piszczek facilitated the sponsorship agreement between the Polish Olympic Committee and Zondacrypto in October 2025, which promised cryptocurrency rewards to medalists of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The Polish government accused Zondacrypto of having ties to nationalist opposition groups, organized crime, and Russian intelligence agencies, estimating that the platform's collapse caused losses of about 350 million zlotys (approximately 80 million euros), affecting around 30,000 people. The Interior Minister described Zondacrypto as "essentially a Ponzi scheme."Media investigations also revealed that Piszczek received a Patek Philippe watch worth approximately 40,000 euros from Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral, who claimed the watch was purchased out of his own pocket. Kral is currently cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of a reduced sentence. Zondacrypto was founded by Sylwester Sucheck in 2014, who went missing in 2022, with Kral taking over his position. The Polish prosecutors launched an investigation in April of this year, and most Polish sports federations subsequently called for Piszczek's resignation.

Morphic Financial Group founder and CEO Mateusz Kara wrote in CoinDesk that the MiCA transition period ended on July 1, and the Polish Ministry of Finance confirmed that existing virtual currency registrations no longer constitute a legal basis for VASP or CASP operations. Crypto services can only be provided by entities holding valid MiCA authorization. Poland previously had about 2,000 registered virtual asset service providers, but a domestic political deadlock prevented the establishment of a viable authorization pathway. Germany issued 57 licenses, France and the Netherlands each issued 26, while Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Romania collectively issued zero.Kara stated that Polish investors hold about 9.4 billion euros in digital assets, and the relocation of businesses will lead to the loss of compliance teams, capital, and investments, with rebuilding the ecosystem potentially taking years. The compliance costs for MiCA can reach up to 700,000 euros, and serious violations could face fines of several million euros, narrowing the space for small participants. However, he believes that MiCA will be beneficial for the European crypto industry in the long term, as accelerated consolidation will eliminate weak operators and create a safer market. The UK's FCA is also launching a similar system, but Poland may become a sales market for others rather than an active participant in European digital finance construction.

According to The New York Times, in March 2022, Sylwester Suszek, the founder of the Polish cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto (formerly BitBay), went missing and left a desperate voice message for his sister, leading his family to suspect he may have been murdered. Przemyslaw Kral, the lawyer who took over the management of the company, has also been missing for four months.Kral had previously released a video to reassure clients, stating that the company held over $330 million worth of Bitcoin, but the only person who possessed the unlocking keys was the missing Suszek. About two months after the website closed around April (on June 29), the Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) revoked the license of its parent company.

According to Jinshi reports, Polish Prime Minister Tusk stated that a missile fell into Polish territory.

According to Jinshi reports, the President of Poland stated that Putin may use force against NATO's eastern flank countries at any time.

According to "On-Chain Detective" ZachXBT's post on his personal channel, Polish social engineering attacker Wojtek Kulisz (online name "Merry") was recently suspected of being raided by Polish law enforcement, along with three others being taken away.Although the official press release did not disclose his name or photo, several designer clothing and jewelry items displayed on his public Instagram account "wojtekk" are highly consistent with the items seized during the police operation. The related case is led by the Polish Central Cyber Crime Fighting Department (CBZC) and has received assistance from agencies such as the FBI and HSI.

According to Reuters, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a cryptocurrency regulation bill for the third time, which aims to implement the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Poland needs to complete the approval by July.Previously, the Polish parliament passed the bill in May, against the backdrop of a scandal involving the collapse of the country's largest cryptocurrency exchange and a dispute over regulatory responsibilities. Nawrocki expressed support for regulation and consumer protection but stated that the government did not adopt most of the presidential office's previous amendment suggestions in the latest version, emphasizing that he would only sign it into effect if the parliament revised it according to his opinions.

Polish lawmakers passed the government-supported crypto assets market bill (No. 2529) in the 57th session of the House, with 241 votes in favor and 200 against. The bill aims to officially incorporate the Polish cryptocurrency market into the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework. Previously, President Karol Nawrocki had vetoed earlier versions of the bill twice.According to the bill, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) will gain explicit powers to supervise market participants, impose administrative penalties, and temporarily freeze accounts and transactions. The bill has now been submitted to the Senate for review, and the president may still exercise the veto power again.

According to Reuters, the Polish parliament has passed a cryptocurrency regulation bill to implement the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), with Poland required to complete the implementation of related rules by July. The legislative backdrop is the alleged large-scale fraud involving the Polish cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. Polish prosecutors have launched a multi-million dollar fraud investigation, with expected user losses exceeding 350 million zlotys (approximately 95.93 million USD), and thousands of users are currently unable to withdraw their funds.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously stated that "Russian funds" and foreign political influence issues may be involved behind Zondacrypto. The exchange's founder Sylwester Suszek went missing in 2022, and the current head Przemyslaw Kral reportedly has gone to Israel. Polish President Karol Nawrocki had previously vetoed the related MiCA implementation bill twice, believing that the regulatory requirements were too burdensome and could lead to the loss of cryptocurrency businesses.

The Speaker of the Polish Sejm, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, announced that the parliament has officially begun reviewing four competing regulatory bills for crypto assets, following President Karol Nawrocki's veto of related legislation twice. This review involves multiple legislative proposals from the government, the presidential office, the Poland 2050 party, and the Confederation party, with a second reading vote expected to take place on Thursday. The core disagreement centers on the scope of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) regarding account freezing powers and the maximum penalties for violations. The presidential draft sets the maximum fine at approximately 20 million zlotys (about 5.5 million USD), while the Ministry of Finance's version raises it to 25 million zlotys (about 6.9 million USD).Meanwhile, the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), after withdrawing support for earlier regulatory proposals, submitted a separate bill on Monday advocating for a complete ban on crypto asset-related activities in Poland, further complicating the regulatory discussion. Speaker Czarzasty stated that the PiS ban draft will enter the review process only after the four main regulatory bills are completed and questioned the connection between crypto industry funding and political activities, specifically inquiring about potential political financing issues, including those involving zondacrypto.

According to Politico, Poland's major cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto is facing a serious fraud investigation. Its former CEO went missing in 2022, taking with him the private keys to a cold wallet containing 4,500 bitcoins (currently worth over $340 million). The current CEO has admitted to being unable to access the wallet and has recently been reported to have fled to Israel. Prosecutors estimate potential losses for customers to be around $97 million.On-chain data shows that the bitcoin balance in the platform's hot wallet has plummeted by 99.7% since mid-2024, with users generally reporting difficulties in withdrawing funds. Polish Prime Minister Tusk estimates that up to 30,000 users may be affected.Tusk publicly accused the platform of being funded by Russian-linked money, used to finance opposition lawmakers to obstruct Poland's cryptocurrency regulatory legislation. He bluntly stated that this is a "Polish version of a Ponzi scheme" and criticized the president for vetoing the localization of the EU MiCA framework twice, making Poland a "paradise for scammers."The platform's board stated that they failed to obtain "verifiable information" from the missing CEO and have collectively resigned. The founder has been missing since 2022, and the previously mentioned "suspect kidnapping allegations" case is still under investigation. This incident is expected to prompt Poland and the EU to strengthen regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to "Russian gangs and intelligence agencies" is funding political opponents and influencing domestic cryptocurrency regulatory legislation.During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians obstructing cryptocurrency regulatory legislation are serving the interests of a company named Zondacrypto, which is accused of providing "financial support" to political figures and has ties to Russia. Tusk further claimed that the company sponsored the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event held in Poland last year, during which former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki's campaign. Tusk bluntly stated that the company's funding sources involve not only "money related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)" but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies.Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election in June last year, with support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The president's office responded that it does not oppose cryptocurrency regulation itself but opposes the "flawed regulatory model" proposed by the government. This controversy arises amid the political tug-of-war in Poland over the cryptocurrency regulatory bill. The bill aims to align with the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework, but the president previously vetoed the related bill and blocked parliament from overturning the veto in December, hindering the regulatory process.

According to Crypto Politan, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has once again vetoed a cryptocurrency bill aimed at incorporating the EU MiCA regulations into domestic law. The bill has been criticized for granting excessive powers to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), including the ability to suspend cryptocurrency trading and impose fines of up to 10 million zlotys (approximately 2.8 million USD) for violations.The KNF has warned that if the bill fails to pass before July 1, all domestic crypto platforms will face the risk of operating illegally.Industry representatives are concerned that under the current version, Polish crypto businesses may be forced to relocate to more regulatory-friendly European regions such as the Baltic states. Currently, Prime Minister Tusk's government lacks the three-fifths majority needed in parliament to overturn the presidential veto.

According to a report by Investing.com, UK fintech company GSTechnologies Ltd (London Stock Exchange: GST) has announced the acquisition of Polish virtual asset service provider Finferno Spółka Z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością, with the transaction amount undisclosed.The acquisition is funded by GST's existing cash resources and aims to expand the company's digital asset business in Poland and Central Europe. Through this transaction, GST will be able to launch new digital asset exchanges and wealth management services in Poland, initially operating in a pilot format. GST Chairman Tone Goh stated in a press release that this acquisition aligns with the company's plan to internationalize its digital asset business GS Fintech in specific markets with strong potential.

According to CoinDesk, the Polish Sejm has once again passed the "Cryptocurrency Market Bill," which was previously vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki, and sent it to the Senate for further review.The bill was approved on Thursday with 241 votes from lawmakers, and its content is identical to the version that was previously vetoed. The bill aims to align Polish law with the EU's "Regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets" (MiCA), but critics argue that it exceeds EU standards and grants the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) overly broad enforcement powers, including website blocking and fines in the millions of zlotys.Nawrocki's reasons for vetoing the bill included vague legal provisions, excessive regulation, and high compliance costs, warning that the relevant clauses could harm small businesses and allow for "one-click" domain shutdowns. Despite facing opposition, Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government has made no modifications to resubmit the bill. After the Senate review, the bill may face another presidential veto.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed the proposal of the Crypto-Asset Market Act, which aimed to introduce strict regulations for the country's crypto industry. The president's office confirmed in a statement on Monday that he would not sign the bill. President Karol Nawrocki rejected the bill on the grounds that it "truly threatens the freedom, property, and national stability of the Polish people," and pointed out that the bill's length (over 100 pages) far exceeds the requirements set by the EU's MiCA.His main objection lies in a provision that grants authorities the power to block crypto-related websites. Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domański stated on the X platform that the president's choice would expose consumers to risks, claiming that Karol Nawrocki "chose chaos." Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also believes that the bill is necessary to curb fraud. Industry insiders welcomed the veto, arguing that consumer protection should not come at the cost of excessive control.

According to Cointelegraph, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the heavily regulated "Cryptocurrency Market Act," which has drawn praise from the cryptocurrency community and strong criticism from the government.The presidential office stated that the provisions of the bill "truly threaten the freedom, property, and national stability of the Polish people." The main reasons for the veto include: the risk of abuse from provisions that allow authorities to easily block cryptocurrency websites; the bill's complexity leading to overregulation; and excessively high regulatory costs that could hinder the development of startups, benefiting foreign companies and banks. The president warned that excessive regulation would drive businesses to operate in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, or Malta instead of paying taxes in Poland.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi Data, on August 24, Professor Novak from the Warsaw School of Economics and Business stated that he believes the United States will be the biggest loser from the tariff increases.Novak pointed out that in the current trade system, countries will ultimately adjust the global trade pattern in various ways, which will put the United States in a very unfavorable position. Other countries will not maintain this high-tariff trade system with the United States, which will inevitably lead to a restructuring of the global trade pattern.He recalled during Trump's first presidential term that tariff increases would not bring about job growth, and therefore he believes that American consumers will bear the cost of the tariffs, making the United States a loser as a result.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official announcement, OKX has officially launched a fully compliant centralized cryptocurrency trading platform in Germany and Poland. Users in Germany or Poland can trade over 270 cryptocurrencies, including more than 60 cryptocurrency pairs with the euro.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, the Polish presidential election has entered the final sprint phase. Nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki recently released a video on social media promising that if elected, he would support the development of the cryptocurrency industry and oppose regulatory policies that restrict investment freedom. This candidate, supported by the Law and Justice Party, admitted that he does not hold digital currencies but emphasized that "Poland should be a birthplace of innovation rather than regulation."The latest polls show that Nawrocki and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski have similar support rates. Analysts believe that his stance on cryptocurrency aims to attract supporters of far-right candidate Slawomir Mentzen, who is known for holding Bitcoin and garnered 14.8% of the votes in the first round. Notably, Trzaskowski also publicly opposed regulating the Polish cryptocurrency market in February.