Key Takeaways
- The lower house fell short of the three-fifths majority required to revive the bill
- Nawrocki argued that the legislation would “threaten the freedoms of Poles, their property, and the stability of the state,”
Poland’s effort to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets has hit another wall after lawmakers in the Sejm—the lower house of the bicameral parliament of the country—failed to gather enough votes to overturn President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the Crypto-Asset Market Act. The lower house fell short of the three-fifths majority required to revive the bill, effectively sending the government back to square one on crypto oversight.
The stalled legislation had been introduced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government in June and was designed to bring Poland in line with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime. Supporters said the bill was necessary to strengthen national security and close gaps that could be exploited by foreign intelligence services, criminal groups, and money launderers.
Tusk made that case directly to lawmakers on Friday, addressing them first in a closed session and later in open debate. “There’s no doubt that this market is highly susceptible to exploitation by foreign services, intelligence agencies, and mafias,” he said. He framed the vote in stark terms, writing on X that the decision amounted to “Russian money and services versus the security of the state and citizens.”
The president’s veto last week halted the bill before it could advance. Nawrocki argued that the legislation would “threaten the freedoms of Poles, their property, and the stability of the state,” raising concerns about provisions enabling authorities to block crypto-related websites, impose high fees, and create what critics saw as disproportionately restrictive oversight. Industry groups echoed those concerns, warning that the bill risked pushing startups out of Poland.
With the veto now upheld, the Tusk government must restart its legislative process if it hopes to align with MiCA. The setback also exposes deep divisions within parliament over how far the state should go in policing a rapidly growing sector.
Despite the regulatory deadlock, crypto adoption in Poland continues to accelerate. Chainalysis recently identified the country as one of Europe’s “large crypto economies,” reporting more than 50% year-over-year growth in onchain activity. Local interest in Bitcoin has also been rising, accompanied by a surge in Bitcoin ATM installations. Earlier this year, in a significant achievement, Poland became the world’s fifth-largest hub for Bitcoin ATMs, surpassing El Salvador.
