Polish PM Accuses Crypto Firm Of Russian Mafia/Spy Links In Political Rivalry

A fresh crypto controversy has flared up in Poland, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing a crypto firm he says was formed with “Russian money” of backing political rivals and conservative events. 

Tusk made the remarks in the Polish parliament on Friday, as lawmakers prepared to vote on whether to overturn a veto by Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate whose leadership has become central to the dispute over new crypto regulations.

The issue traces back to Nawrocki’s rejection of two separate attempts by the liberal government to regulate the Polish crypto market over the last six months. 

Zondacrypto’s Ties To Bratva And Russian Secret Services

According to AP, Tusk spoke ahead of the parliamentary vote to override Nawrocki’s decision. In his speech, Tusk argued that the repeated blocking of regulations pointed to the interests of a particular company, Zondacrypto, which he said has provided financial support and maintains links to Russia.

Tusk’s allegations went beyond general claims of foreign influence. He told lawmakers that the funding behind Zondacrypto’s success comes from Russian money tied to the “Bratva,” described by Tusk as one of Russia’s most important mafia groups, as well as from Russian secret services. 

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He further said Zondacrypto not only supports events in Poland but also “promotes very specific political forces.” In his account, the company has helped finance politicians from the Law and Justice party, Poland’s former national-conservative governing group, along with figures from the far-right Confederation.

The prime minister also claimed that the crypto firm served as a strategic sponsor of a major Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event held in Poland. 

That meeting took place in Rzeszów in March 2025, AP reported, just five days before the presidential election that delivered a tight race between a candidate associated with Tusk’s political camp and Nawrocki.

Government Defends Crypto Rules

Tusk also asserted that Nawrocki was fully aware of Zondacrypto’s details when he chose to veto the proposed crypto regulations. He argued that the veto decisions were not made without context, pointing to the alleged relationship between Zondacrypto and key political actors.

In response to the accusations, Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the president’s office, said Nawrocki was not opposing the need to regulate the crypto markets. 

Instead, Bogucki said Nawrocki’s objections were aimed at what he described as a flawed “regulatory model” proposed by the government. Meanwhile, Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the Confederation party, said the incoming legislation would have “destroyed the Polish cryptocurrency market.”

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The Polish government maintains that the new crypto regulations are designed to bring Poland in line with European Union (EU) rules governing digital assets. 

As for Zondacrypto, the company did not respond directly to AP’s questions about Tusk’s claims. However, the firm had told Polish media earlier this week that it is cooperating with Polish authorities investigating the allegations.

For now, the parliamentary vote scheduled to follow Tusk’s remarks will determine whether the government can move forward despite Nawrocki’s vetoes—while the wider political dispute over alleged foreign-linked support for specific factions continues to grow around Poland’s crypto debate.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com