poland

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.

According to Bloomberg, the fintech company Revolut has launched a euro-pegged stablecoin EURR, which will initially be available to eligible customers in Denmark, Poland, and Portugal.Revolut stated that EURR is the "first step" in its stablecoin strategy, with plans to launch tokens pegged to other fiat currencies in the future to expand the application of digital currencies in cross-border payments and corporate transaction scenarios.

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.

Przemysław Kral, the head of the Polish cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto, is reportedly facing criminal charges for involvement in a large-scale fraud and has begun cooperating with Polish prosecutors. According to Polish media Onet, Kral is seeking a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony, which may involve Zondacrypto's funding of right-wing political figures.Prosecutors estimate that Zondacrypto customers have lost at least 2.4 billion Polish złoty (approximately 650 million USD). Investigators claim that the exchange only used a portion of customer funds to purchase cryptocurrencies, while the remaining funds were transferred to private accounts controlled by Zondacrypto's management. Kral has remained silent on X since mid-April when he publicly disclosed that Zondacrypto could not access a cold wallet holding approximately 4,500 bitcoins. He denies misappropriating funds, stating that the private keys for the wallet were supposed to be handed over by Zonda's founder and former CEO Sylwester Suszek, who has been missing since 2022.Reports also state that Zondacrypto was a major sponsor of the Polish CPAC conference, which took place before the second round of the presidential election, ultimately won by Karol Nawrocki. The exchange spent 37 million złoty on advertising with the broadcasting station Telewizja Republika in the last year, while Kral's company also made payments to foundations associated with politicians Zbigniew Ziobro and Przemysław Wipler.

According to Jinshi reports, the Polish armed forces stated that due to Russia's airstrikes on Ukraine, Poland has deployed fighter jets for protective reasons.

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.

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 Bloomberg, Poland's largest digital asset trading platform Zondacrypto has stated that it is on the verge of bankruptcy after attracting approximately $100 million in deposits from Polish users and has stopped providing services for customer accounts.The Polish national prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into suspected fraud against it. The report notes that Zondacrypto is registered in Estonia, and its bankruptcy crisis is putting political pressure on Donald Trump's allies in the Polish presidential office.

According to Cointelegraph, the Polish parliament has not yet passed the domestic bill associated with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), making Poland the last EU member state to complete the relevant legislation.As the MiCA transition period is set to end on July 1, if the bill remains stalled, local crypto businesses may face greater obstacles to compliance in the European market, with some companies considering relocating to countries like Latvia and the Czech Republic. Previously, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the bill twice, citing the regulatory burden it would impose and the potential impact on small businesses.

According to Crypto Politan, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a new law earlier this month, officially incorporating the EU DAC8 directive into national legislation. Investors who fail to report cryptocurrency gains as required will face a punitive tax rate of up to 75%.DAC8 refers to the eighth amendment of the EU Directive on Administrative Cooperation in the Field of Direct Taxation, specifically targeting digital assets. It requires platforms such as exchanges, brokers, and wallet service providers to collect user and transaction data and report it to tax authorities. Tax departments in member countries will automatically share this information. The Polish National Revenue Administration (KAS) will use this to monitor the holdings and trading activities of cryptocurrency investors in the country.Local media estimate that about 3 million people in Poland hold cryptocurrencies, but currently, only about 1% of investors pay taxes in accordance with the law. Under current regulations, cryptocurrency trading income must be reported via the PIT-38 form by April 30, 2026, and is subject to a unified capital gains tax rate of 19%; mining and staking rewards are tax-exempt upon receipt, but taxes must be paid when converted to fiat currency.

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 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.

One of the ruling coalition members of the Polish Parliament's lower house (Sejm), the Polska2050 party, on Tuesday reintroduced the cryptocurrency bill, which is identical to the 84-page cryptocurrency bill vetoed by the president, essentially replicating the original Bill No. 1424, aimed at designating the Polish Financial Supervision Authority as the main regulatory body for the cryptocurrency market in the country.

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 Cointelegraph, the lower house of the Polish Parliament has passed a new version of the "Cryptocurrency Market Act," which received 230 votes in favor and 196 votes against. The act stipulates that all cryptocurrency asset service providers (CASP) must apply for a license from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), with violators facing fines of up to 10 million zlotys (approximately 2.8 million USD) and up to two years in prison. After the act is implemented, there will be a 6-month transition period.The act has been criticized as "the strictest cryptocurrency regulation in the EU," sparking strong opposition from the industry, which believes it could harm the interests of Poland's 3 million cryptocurrency holders. The act is currently under review by the Senate.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the Warsaw Stock Exchange has launched Poland's first Bitcoin ETF, marking an important step for Eastern Europe in adopting cryptocurrencies. This ETF allows Polish investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin through standard brokerage accounts. The Warsaw Stock Exchange stated in its official press release that this ETF provides investors with the opportunity to enter the cryptocurrency market through trading on a regulated stock exchange.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, Polish conservative historian Karol Nawrocki defeated liberal challenger Rafał Trzaskowski with 50.89% of the vote in the local time Monday runoff, successfully elected as president. The National Electoral Commission has confirmed his victory, which will have a significant impact on Poland's future policies, especially in the field of cryptocurrency.Nawrocki supports American conservatives, inspired by figures like Trump, hoping to make Poland a "hub of innovation" for cryptocurrency. This position has sparked discussions in the global financial community, with speculation about whether Poland will follow other economies in exploring the establishment of a state-supported Bitcoin treasury. Although he claims not to hold any cryptocurrency, his policy orientation supports deregulation and promotes industry growth, which has motivated many voters. However, in February this year, the Polish central bank ruled out the possibility of including Bitcoin in the national reserves.