The Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, failed for the third time to override President Karol Nawrocki’s veto on the crypto regulation bill on Sept. 4, 2026. In the decisive vote, proponents of the new framework secured 241 votes in favor, countered by 198 against and 3 abstentions out of 442 lawmakers present in the chamber. They fell short of the three-fifths majority threshold, which required 266 absolute votes with a minimum quorum of 230 members.
The Sept. 4 decision extends a string of rejections for crypto oversight legislation on the president’s desk dating back to last year. Nawrocki issued his first veto on Dec. 1, 2025, with parliament failing to override it in a 243-192 vote. A second veto followed on Feb. 12, 2026, and again stood after a 243-191 tally on April 17. Nawrocki argued that the proposed draft places an excessive burden on Polish crypto firms and risks pushing businesses to other jurisdictions. The president himself processed only one amendment out of 16 revision points previously requested by his office.
Former Minister Named Alongside 2 Million PLN Fund Flow
The technical debate over digital asset licensing took an unexpected turn when Prime Minister Donald Tusk took over the session. Tusk stepped forward to read testimony regarding the collapse of crypto exchange Zondacrypto before lawmakers. The document implicated former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro in the controversy. Tusk claimed that compensation totaling 2 million PLN (approximately €463,000) was directed to Ziobro, with the funds allegedly routed through a foundation owned by the former minister’s brother.
President Nawrocki firmly denied any rumors connecting him to Zondacrypto. However, the revelation of the funding scandal has clouded the legislative debate, steering discussions far from the core substance of crypto regulation.
MiCA Licensing Slips Away
The failure to designate the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) as the national competent authority has cost the domestic industry critical time. KNF oversight is a prerequisite for Poland to implement the European Union’s MiCA framework. Crucially, the Europe-wide MiCA transition period concluded on July 1, 2026, and the EU has already issued 244 new crypto asset service provider licenses. Regional competitors have outpaced Poland, led by German and French firms that account for more than a third of all licenses granted.
For crypto firms in Warsaw, the repeated parliamentary gridlock shuts the door on expanding across the European market. Without a domestic regulator capable of issuing MiCA licenses, their operations remain confined within national borders and disadvantaged against foreign players. Reported by crypto.news.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
