- Polish parliament does not secure the three-fifths majority to override the president’s veto, so the national crypto bill does not enter into force.
- The veto exposes a clear split between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki over how strict new rules for the crypto sector should be.
- Poland delays its detailed MiCA implementation, leaving local crypto firms under general rules while they wait for a revised proposal from the government.
On 5 December 2025, the Polish parliament failed to overturn President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of a key crypto-assets bill. The result left the Polish parliament facing questions over why it could not secure enough support for a law that the government presented as vital for national security. The outcome also left the country without a national law to implement the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, known as MiCA. It turned a dense technical proposal into a high profile test for elected leaders in Warsaw, who now have to balance market freedom with security concerns about Russia and the growing role of digital assets in cross-border finance.
Polish parliament blocks crypto veto override amid security warnings
Prime Minister Donald Tusk went into the session arguing that an unregulated crypto market helps money laundering, organised crime and foreign intelligence services move funds with little trace. He highlighted the alleged role of Russian networks that use tokens and stablecoins to pay accomplices inside the European Union and warned that Poland should not remain a weak point. During a closed sitting that preceded the open debate in the Polish parliament, he presented what he described as urgent information on national security and recent cryptocurrency scandals, according to people briefed on the meeting. After the doors opened, he kept the same tone in public and later wrote on X that lawmakers faced a choice between Russian money and the safety of the state and its citizens. When the roll call finally took place, the government side fell short of the high bar required to reverse the president’s decision. The lower house needed a three-fifths majority, with at least half of all members taking part, to override the presidential veto under the Polish constitution. Local reports said the ruling coalition missed that threshold by about eighteen votes, even though some opposition deputies had signalled that they might support tighter rules for the sector. The failure of the Polish parliament to gather enough backing left the veto in place, stalled the government’s attempt to bring the crypto market under stricter oversight and forced officials to rethink their timetable for new legislation.
Political feud between Tusk and Nawrocki shapes crypto law fight
The confrontation in the chamber reflects a wider feud between liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk and nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, who lead rival camps and present very different visions of the state. Tusk treats tighter oversight of exchanges, brokers and wallet providers as part of a broader defensive line that also includes support for Ukraine, energy diversification and close cooperation with partners in the European Union. He argues that the same tools that let ordinary investors trade coins and stablecoins can also help clandestine networks linked to Moscow move funds for influence operations or sabotage across Poland and neighbouring states. For critics in the Polish parliament who back Tusk, the failure to pass the bill looks like a missed chance to close what they see as a dangerous gap in the security system. Nawrocki and his allies insist that they are protecting citizens from overreach and accuse the government of trying to extend bureaucratic power under the cover of fighting Russian interference. The president had already vetoed the act on the crypto-assets market on 1 December, using his constitutional power to block laws that he views as harmful. His office criticised provisions that would have allowed the Financial Supervision Authority to block internet domains used by firms suspected of breaking MiCA rules and pointed to the scale of the statute, which ran to hundreds of pages. Officials close to Nawrocki also complained about the level of supervisory fees that crypto-asset service providers would have paid and about the pace at which the parliament pushed the text through its stages. Supporters of the president inside the Polish parliament say they want a fresh proposal that protects users without granting regulators sweeping powers over online services.
Polish parliament debate exposes split over MiCA, regulation and business burden
At the heart of the dispute stands Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on Markets in Crypto-Assets, which sets common rules for issuers and for crypto-asset service providers but leaves each member state to design its own supervisory framework and enforcement tools. The Polish act that the president vetoed and the Polish parliament later failed to defend would have designated the Financial Supervision Authority as the main watchdog for the domestic market. It required firms that run trading platforms, custody services and token issuances to obtain authorisation, report detailed information on their activities and meet strict governance and capital standards. The bill also introduced criminal liability for serious offences tied to issuing tokens or operating crypto-asset services without the proper licence, bringing the digital-asset field closer to existing rules for the banking and securities sectors. Supporters of the bill in the Polish parliament say that these tools are necessary to protect retail users, raise standards of transparency and stop unsupervised operators from targeting Polish customers with risky products. They note that digital-asset firms already fall under anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing rules but insist that a dedicated law would bring clarity on consumer protection, market abuse and prudential requirements. Right-wing parties and presidential advisers respond that other European Union countries have implemented MiCA with much simpler laws and that the Polish text went further by allowing regulators to block domains, levy high fees and impose heavy reporting duties on even modest businesses. They warn that this mix could push trading platforms, start-ups and service providers to move their operations to more welcoming jurisdictions while Polish developers still struggle to attract capital and talent.
Cyber threats, Russian influence claims and the future of Poland’s crypto market
National security concerns run through the whole dispute and help explain why a financial niche that remains modest compared with the banking system generated such intense rhetoric in the Polish parliament and in public debate. Polish security services have previously said that Russian structures used cryptocurrencies to pay individuals involved in sabotage attempts on Polish infrastructure, allegations that Moscow rejects. Officials across many European Union countries report a growing number of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and drone incursions that test the resilience of borders, energy networks and communications. In that environment, Tusk argues that a strict MiCA-style regime would help trace flows, close loopholes and reassure partners that Poland takes the digital dimension of security as seriously as more traditional threats. For many business groups and industry lawyers, the failed attempt in the Polish parliament creates a new period of uncertainty. The veto and the unsuccessful override vote effectively reset the legislative process and delay the moment when Poland can offer a clear licensing path for crypto-asset service providers. Firms that had prepared for a Polish regime based on MiCA must now keep operating under general financial, tax and anti-money-laundering law while they wait for a fresh draft. Some see opportunity in the pause, hoping that a more balanced proposal could reduce compliance costs while still reflecting European standards. Others fear that prolonged delay will leave Poland out of step with the rest of the Union and encourage serious projects to build their main operations in rival hubs that already advertise clear, stable rules.
Conclusion
The decision by the Polish parliament to uphold the presidential veto freezes Poland’s crypto-asset regulation at a moment when the country faces pressure from Russian activity and from European partners that expect alignment with MiCA. For now, local exchanges, brokers and developers must work within a patchwork of existing financial and anti-money-laundering rules and pay close attention to shifting political signals in Warsaw. The next phase will depend on whether the government and the president can agree on a compromise that answers security concerns without driving business away and whether the Polish parliament can then turn that compromise into a stable, predictable legal framework for the country’s digital-asset market.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. The article does not offer sufficient information to make investment decisions, nor does it constitute an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instrument. The content is opinion of the author and does not reflect any view or suggestion or any kind of advise from CryptoNewsBytes.com. The author declares he does not hold any of the above mentioned tokens or received any incentive from any company.
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