Polish Prime Minister claims that crypto companies are involved with Russian gangs and intelligence networks and are funding political opponents, sparking regulatory controversy

Mars Finance reports that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to the “Russian mafia and intelligence agencies” is funding political opponents and exerting influence on domestic crypto regulation legislation. During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians obstructing crypto regulation legislation are serving a company called Zondacrypto, which is accused of providing “funding support” to political figures and has connections to Russia. Tusk further said that the company sponsored last year’s CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) held in Poland, where former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki’s campaign. Tusk bluntly stated that the company’s funding sources involve not only “funds related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)” but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election last June, with his camp receiving support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The presidential office responded that it does not oppose crypto regulation itself but opposes the “flawed regulatory model” proposed by the government. This controversy occurs amid a political tug-of-war in Poland over the crypto regulation bill. The bill aims to align with the EU’s MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework, but the president previously vetoed the related legislation and blocked the parliament from overriding the veto in December, stalling the regulatory process.