Poland’s parliament failed once more to overturn a presidential veto on a high-profile crypto regulation bill, extending a political impasse over how the country should regulate digital assets.
In Friday’s vote lawmakers did not reach the 263 votes required to override President Karol Nawrocki’s veto: 191 MPs voted in favor of the override while 243 voted against. The measure, supported by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, sought to bring Poland into line with the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA), introduced in 2024 to standardize issuance and custody rules across the bloc. Poland remains the only EU member state that has not implemented the MiCA framework.
Nawrocki defended his veto on the grounds that the draft law imposed excessive regulation, lacked sufficient transparency, and would place an undue burden on small businesses. Government ministers countered that postponing a clear legal framework leaves investors and customers exposed. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański warned that the absence of regulation risks turning the market into an “El Dorado for fraudsters,” increasing the potential for consumer and business abuse.
This marks the second unsuccessful attempt to override the veto. A previous override effort failed in December; lawmakers reintroduced what they called an improved draft days later, but critics said the revisions were largely cosmetic. Nawrocki vetoed the revised bill again in February and said he would not sign legislation he considers flawed, even if it were repeatedly passed.
The dispute has also embroiled Zonda, Poland’s largest crypto exchange, which reportedly lobbied against the bill. Prime Minister Tusk has accused the platform of connections to illicit funding, citing intelligence reports that he says link the company’s origins to Russian criminal networks. Zonda’s CEO, Przemysław Kral, denied the allegations and said efforts to draw the company into political fights harm Poland’s innovation ecosystem; he indicated he may pursue legal action to protect his and the company’s reputation.
Kral also denied controlling a crypto wallet reportedly holding about $330 million, saying those assets remained with former CEO Sylwester Suszek prior to Suszek’s disappearance in 2022.
The standoff leaves Poland at odds with EU peers on implementing MiCA and continues to generate debate between officials who prioritize rapid regulatory alignment and those who warn against hasty rules that could harm small businesses and market development.
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