Polish legislators have reaffirmed their stance on crypto regulation that was previously dismissed by President Karol Nawrocki, escalating tensions between him and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Polska2050, a member of the ruling coalition in the Sejm — Poland’s lower parliamentary house — reintroduced a comprehensive crypto bill on Tuesday, mere days after Nawrocki vetoed a similar proposal.
Supporters of the bill, including Adam Gomoła — a member of Polska2050 — described Bill 2050 as an “enhanced” successor to the rejected Bill 1424, while government spokesman Adam Szłapka reportedly asserted that “not even a comma” had been altered.
The discord surrounding Poland’s crypto bill arises as the European Union prepares to implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) across member states, with a compliance deadline for EU crypto businesses set for July 2026.
Critics claim Bill 2050 is “exactly the same proposal”
The newly introduced version of Poland’s draft crypto bill spans 84 pages and largely mirrors the original Bill 1424, aiming to empower the Polish Financial Supervision Authority as the principal regulator for the country’s crypto asset market.
Crypto proponents like Polish politician Tomasz Mentzen have previously condemned Bill 1424 as “118 pages of excessive regulation,” especially when compared to more concise versions existing in other EU countries such as Hungary or Romania.
“The government has yet again adopted exactly the same bill on cryptoassets,” Mentzen commented in a post on X on Tuesday.
He also ridiculed Tusk’s assertion that the president’s prior veto was linked to alleged ties with the “Russian mafia,” remarking: “The bill is flawless, and anyone who disagrees is financed by Putin.”
Government spokesman Szłapka reportedly stated that Nawrocki is unlikely to veto the proposed bill this time, following a confidential security briefing in parliament last week, where he “now has full knowledge” of the national security implications.
The MiCA dilemma: Local versus centralized EU oversight
Poland’s discussion surrounding its crypto bill is pivotal for applying the EU-wide MiCA regulation, as the proposed law would assign market supervision responsibility to the local financial regulator.
This issue holds particular weight amid advocacy from certain member states for increased centralized oversight under the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
In October, the Bank of France urged the EU to endow the ESMA with direct supervisory authority, cautioning that a fragmented oversight approach could compromise the bloc’s financial sovereignty.
Some EU member states have resisted centralized MiCA oversight, with regulators in Malta arguing that it could introduce additional layers of supervision that could hinder market innovation.
Related: EU plan would enhance ESMA powers over crypto and capital markets
Notably, Polish economist Krzysztof Piech — a vocal critic of Poland’s proposed crypto legislation — has questioned the necessity of local legislation, considering that MiCA protections will become effective in 2026.
Although local reports suggest that Nawrocki may not veto the bill this time, there is speculation that his office has been presented with an “alternative” draft intended to create more favorable market conditions. This proposed alternative is reportedly designed to align with the EU-wide MiCA framework and remove direct oversight from the local regulator.
