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Tusk Alleges Russia-Linked Crypto Exchange Funded Opponents as Parliament Upholds Veto on Crypto Law

The fight over alleged Russian-funded influence spotlights stalled EU‑aligned crypto rules, with security risks in focus.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament Friday that Zondacrypto drew on Russian mafia and intelligence money to sponsor politicians and a CPAC event, before lawmakers fell 20 votes short of overturning President Karol Nawrocki’s veto.
  • Zondacrypto’s CEO said the exchange is solvent and disclosed a 4,500 BTC reserve it cannot access because the former owner did not hand over the private key and has since gone missing, while denying any misuse of client funds.
  • Local reports cite frozen or slow withdrawals since late March and a blockchain firm’s finding that hot‑wallet bitcoin balances tied to the platform plunged about 99% since mid‑2024, which the company blames on flawed analyses and heavy security checks.
  • Tusk said the firm financed figures from Law and Justice and the far‑right Confederation and served as a strategic sponsor of CPAC in Rzeszów in March 2025, while the president’s office argued it opposes the government’s regulatory model rather than crypto rules themselves.
  • With the veto intact, Poland cannot implement EU MiCA licensing, leaving local exchanges without a clear path to authorization and consumers with fewer protections, as ongoing probes and earlier reporting on a shareholder’s criminal past keep scrutiny on the company.