Russian trace in Zondacrypto scandal? What did Donald Tusk mean?

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pointed to a "Russian trace" in the burgeoning Zondacrypto scandal, a cryptocurrency exchange that is currently unable to disburse funds to investors. Tusk, speaking at a closed parliamentary session on December 5, 2025, described the affair as the "biggest scandal since 1989." He alleged that the exchange is linked to money laundering, Russian influence, and political lobbying within the right-wing parties, specifically mentioning PiS and Konfederacja. Tusk's claims are reportedly based on a secret note from the Internal Security Agency (ABW), which suggests that the Tambov Brotherhood, a prominent Russian mafia group, gained control of Zondacrypto. This takeover allegedly occurred in July 2018 when the exchange was known as BitBay. Russian entities, operating through a Polish intermediary, are said to have acquired majority shares, with funds channeled through entities registered in the UAE by one of BitBay's co-founders. The article highlights that cryptocurrencies have become a tool for Russia to circumvent sanctions, particularly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tusk suggested that Zondacrypto could be used by Russia to finance diversionary and propaganda activities against NATO and the EU. The Prime Minister's efforts to push for a government bill to control the cryptocurrency market were thwarted when President Andrzej Duda vetoed the legislation on December 1, 2025. The ongoing crisis at Zondacrypto, with its inability to pay investors and the likely whereabouts of its CEO, Przemysław Kral, in Israel, adds urgency to the investigation.