Poland Parliament Fails to Override Presidential Veto on Crypto Regulation Bill

Poland's parliament failed for a second time on April 18, 2026 to override President Karol Nawrocki's veto of crypto regulation legislation, falling 20 votes short with 191 in favor and 243 against. Prime Minister Donald Tusk linked the veto's survival to Zondacrypto exchange, alleging the platform sponsored politicians opposing regulation and has Russian connections. The controversy intensifies as Zondacrypto faces customer withdrawal delays since late March 2026, with CEO Przemysław Kral revealing the exchange cannot access a bitcoin wallet holding 4,500 BTC worth $330 million because former CEO Sylwester Suszek, missing for four years, never handed over the private key after the 2021 ownership transfer. Blockchain data shows Zondacrypto's hot wallet bitcoin balances dropped 99% since mid-2024, while the exchange's ownership includes a shareholder sentenced to eight years for murder complicity and fined $12.5 million for VAT fraud.

Zondacrypto's inaccessible Bitcoin reserves and missing former CEO

• ▪The inaccessible Zondacrypto bitcoin wallet shows no outgoing transactions and a total of 32 receiving transactions according to onchain data
• ▪Former Zondacrypto CEO Sylwester Suszek did not hand over the private key when ownership of the exchange transferred in 2021
• ▪Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral disclosed on April 17, 2026 that the exchange owns a bitcoin wallet holding about 4,500 BTC, worth approximately $330 million
• ▪Former Zondacrypto CEO Sylwester Suszek has been missing for four years
• ▪Zondacrypto cannot access the 4,500 BTC wallet because the private key was not handed over by former CEO Sylwester Suszek

Customer withdrawal issues and declining wallet balances

• ▪Bitcoin balances in hot wallets tied to Zondacrypto dropped by about 99% since mid-2024 according to blockchain intelligence firm Recoveris analysis
• ▪Zondacrypto has faced reports of frozen or delayed customer withdrawals since late March 2026

Political interference allegations and failed veto override

• ▪Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a crypto market regulation law
• ▪Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament on April 18, 2026 that Zondacrypto had sponsored some politicians who opposed crypto market regulation
• ▪Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Zondacrypto has links to Russia and had previously provided lawmakers with financial support
• ▪The Polish parliament vote to override President Karol Nawrocki's veto of the crypto regulation law failed with 191 MPs voting in favor and 243 against, 20 mandates too few to overturn

Company's controversial ownership and regulatory history

• ▪Poland's Financial Supervision Authority placed BitBay on its public warning list in 2019 for unauthorized financial activities
• ▪Zondacrypto shareholder Marek K. was fined 45 million zlotys, equivalent to $12.5 million, for VAT fraud
• ▪Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection started an investigation in January 2025 into BB Trade Estonia, Zondacrypto's owner, for violating the collective interests of consumers
• ▪Zondacrypto was formerly known as BitBay before ownership transferred in 2021
• ▪Polish investigative broadcaster TVN identified in 2024 that Zondacrypto shareholder Marek K. held a 35% stake and was sentenced to eight years in prison for complicity in a 1995 gangland murder

Perspective of Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral

• ▪Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral framed the exchange as remaining profitable despite customer withdrawal complaints and the inaccessible $330 million bitcoin wallet

Perspective of President Karol Nawrocki

• ▪President Karol Nawrocki's veto of crypto market regulation legislation survived two parliamentary override attempts despite Prime Minister Tusk's allegations of industry corruption

Perspective of Zondacrypto customers

• ▪Zondacrypto customers experienced frozen or delayed withdrawals beginning in late March 2026 while the exchange held an inaccessible bitcoin wallet worth approximately $330 million