Poland’s lower house approved a revised crypto-assets bill on May 15, 2026, voting 241 to 200 in favor with no abstentions. The legislation now moves to the Senate before returning to President Karol Nawrocki, whose final signature remains uncertain after two earlier vetoes of similar MiCA-alignment measures.
The bill is designed to transpose the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework into Polish law before the July 2026 deadline. That timing is critical for domestic crypto-asset service providers, because failure to implement national rules could threaten their ability to continue offering services under the EU regime while foreign-licensed competitors remain active in the market.
Sejm uchwalił ustawę o rynku kryptoaktywów. Ustawa daje Komisji Nadzoru Finansowego kompetencje do kontrolowania podmiotów rynku, nakładania sankcji administracyjnych oraz czasowego blokowania rachunków i transakcji. pic.twitter.com/WGzmTA8wez
— Sejm RP🇵🇱 (@KancelariaSejmu) May 15, 2026
KNF Gains Stronger Crypto Oversight Powers
The revised framework assigns crypto-market supervision to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, or KNF, while also involving the finance minister in annual market reporting. Parliament accepted one presidential amendment requiring KNF and the finance ministry to publish annual reports on the functioning of the crypto market.
The bill would give KNF authority to block bank accounts, crypto wallets or transactions for up to 96 hours, with extensions possible for as long as six months. That intervention power is one of the most consequential operational provisions for exchanges, custodians and payment providers, because it directly affects account access, transaction continuity and incident-response planning.
The law also sets supervisory levies for regulated participants, including maximum fees of up to 0.5% for token issuers and up to 0.4% for crypto-asset service providers. For domestic firms, those costs add to licensing, compliance staffing and reporting burdens at a moment when the industry is racing against the MiCA implementation clock.
Industry Warns of Overreach and Market Exit
The bill has drawn strong pushback from industry figures who view it as more restrictive than other EU implementations. Critics argue that the 104-page framework increases legal complexity, raises entry costs and could encourage Polish firms to register in other EU jurisdictions with lighter implementation regimes.
Political division remains the main legislative risk. Nawrocki previously vetoed crypto legislation in December 2025 and February 2026, and parliament failed to override one veto in April. The latest bill therefore still faces a material risk of delay or rejection once it returns from the Senate.
The vote also comes during heightened scrutiny of Poland’s crypto sector. Prosecutors are investigating Zondacrypto, with estimated user losses above 350 million zlotys, or about $96 million, while thousands of customers remain unable to access funds. That scandal has intensified pressure for stronger supervision and investor-protection rules.
Firms operating in Poland need contingency plans for licensing delays, account-freeze procedures, client-asset segregation, KNF reporting and operational continuity if final approval slips close to the July deadline.
The Senate review and presidential decision will determine whether Poland enters the MiCA regime on time or prolongs legal uncertainty. Until then, domestic providers face a narrow execution window where compliance capacity, licensing strategy and cross-border structuring could determine who remains competitive after July 1, 2026.
