Poland’s president blocks MiCA bill again, firms seek EU licenses

President Karol Nawrocki vetoed Bill 2064, the second attempt to align Poland’s crypto rules with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. The decision leaves Poland without a designated crypto supervisor as the EU transition period runs to July 1, 2026, prompting local firms to pursue licenses in other member states.

His office reported he declined to sign Bill 2064 last week, calling it “practically identical” to Bill 1424 rejected in December. The legislation would have set out domestic procedures and oversight to apply MiCA, the EU rulebook for crypto-asset issuers and service providers that enables cross-border licensing within the bloc.

The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) has warned that the country has not yet appointed a competent authority to oversee the crypto market. Without a designated regulator and enabling law, Polish companies cannot begin the formal MiCA authorization process at home as the transition period runs until July 1, 2026.

Announcing the veto, Nawrocki stated, “I will not sign a wrong law just because it was passed again by the parliamentary majority. A wrong law that passed a hundred times still remains a wrong law,” adding, “Poland should attract innovation, not push it away.”

Market participants point to a regulatory imbalance while Poland lacks a MiCA framework. “Foreign entities that obtain a MiCA license in their home countries will be able to provide services in Poland, while Polish companies currently have no formal path to begin the licensing process domestically,” Kanga Exchange co-CEO Slawek Zawadzki observed. “This results in regulatory asymmetry.”

Several firms with Polish roots have shifted operations abroad. Zonda Crypto, founded in Poland and now registered in Estonia, has aligned its plans with EU licensing outside the country.

Global platforms continue to expand under MiCA. Large foreign exchanges that secure authorization in other EU countries can passport services into Poland. Coinbase expanded activity in Poland after receiving a MiCA license in Luxembourg in 2025.

The president’s office has maintained that the vetoed bills aimed to transpose EU obligations but raised concerns about provisions viewed as too restrictive for domestic operators. MiCA sets rules across the EU and requires each member state to name a national supervisor to oversee compliance by crypto-asset service providers.

Work on an alternative text is ongoing. Economist Krzysztof Piech said he is preparing a new, more crypto-friendly draft to implement MiCA in Poland and indicated over the weekend that a version is being finalized.

Lawmakers face limited time to align with EU rules, appoint a supervisory authority and set a domestic licensing route before the transition period ends on July 1, 2026. Until then, local platforms are relying on authorizations obtained in other EU states to serve Polish users.

As we covered previously, Polska2050 reintroduced to the Sejm a crypto bill identical to a version President Karol Nawrocki had vetoed days earlier. The draft, presented by Polska2050 lawmaker Adam Gomoła as an improved successor to the vetoed Bill 1424 and labeled Bill 2050, would designate the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) as the primary crypto regulator during the EU MiCA rollout. 

Government spokesman Adam Szłapka said “not even a comma” had changed. By keeping supervision with KNF, the proposal renewed debate over national oversight versus EU-level supervision by the European Securities and Markets Authority.