Polish legislators have reaffirmed their commitment to crypto regulation that President Karol Nawrocki previously rejected, escalating tensions between him and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Polska2050, part of the ruling coalition in the Sejm — Poland’s lower legislative body — reintroduced the comprehensive crypto bill on Tuesday, just a few days after Nawrocki vetoed a similar proposal.
Supporters of the bill, including Adam Gomoła — a representative from Poland2050 — described Bill 2050 as an “enhanced” version of the vetoed Bill 1424, but government spokesperson Adam Szłapka reportedly asserted that “not even a comma” had been altered.
The disagreement over Poland’s crypto legislation arises while the European Union rolls out its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) among member countries, with a compliance deadline for EU crypto businesses set for July 2026.
Critics argue Bill 2050 is “identical” to the previous version
The updated draft of Poland’s crypto bill consists of an 84-page document that largely mirrors the original Bill 1424, aiming to designate the Polish Financial Supervision Authority as the main regulator for the country’s crypto asset market.
Proponents of crypto, such as Polish politician Tomasz Mentzen, have previously condemned Bill 1424 as “118 pages of excessive regulation,” especially when compared to shorter versions found in other EU countries like Hungary or Romania.
“The government has once more passed exactly the same bill on cryptoassets,” Mentzen commented in an X post on Tuesday.
He also ridiculed Tusk’s assertion that the president’s previous veto was linked to supposed ties with the “Russian mafia,” stating: “The bill is flawless, and anyone who disagrees is backed by Putin.”
Government spokesperson Szłapka reportedly suggested that Nawrocki may not veto the new bill this time, following a confidential security briefing in parliament last week and “now has full awareness” of national security implications.
The conflict with MiCA: Local versus centralized EU oversight
The discourse surrounding Poland’s crypto bill sets a crucial precedent for the implementation of the EU-wide MiCA regulation, as the proposed legislation would assign market supervision to the local financial authority.
This issue gains significance amidst demands from several member states for a more centralized oversight of MiCA under the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
In October, the Bank of France urged the EU to grant ESMA direct supervisory authority, cautioning that a fragmented supervisory approach might jeopardize the bloc’s financial autonomy.
Many EU member states have opposed centralized oversight under MiCA, with regulators in Malta contending that it could impose additional oversight layers that would hinder market innovation.
Related: EU initiative would enhance ESMA’s authority over crypto and capital markets
Notably, Polish economist Krzysztof Piech — a vocal critic of Poland’s proposed crypto bill — has questioned the necessity of the local legislation, highlighting that MiCA protections will commence in 2026.
While local reports indicate that Nawrocki may not veto this bill, speculation persists that his office has received an “alternative” draft designed to foster more favorable market conditions. This alternative is reportedly aimed at aligning itself with the EU-wide MiCA framework and eliminating direct oversight from the local regulator.
