Polish Prosecutors Charge Fifth Suspect in $100 Million Zondacrypto Probe

Zondacrypto became the Polish Olympic Committee’s main sponsor in autumn 2025 and promised cryptocurrency bonuses to Polish medalists at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The platform halted payments and collapsed in April 2026 after a liquidity crisis, leaving estimated losses of 350 million zlotys (€81 million) and about 30,000 victims. The case has sharpened scrutiny of crypto-funded sports sponsorships and the ties between digital-asset firms, sports officials and political power.

Polish cybercrime police detained PKOl President Radosław Piesiewicz in Warsaw on Aug. 27, 2026, searched his home and transferred him to the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice. Prosecutors later charged him with influence peddling and favoring certain creditors before insolvency. They allege he received a €40,000 watch from Zondacrypto chief Przemysław Kral in return for promising intervention with former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and competition watchdog UOKiK, and recovered all his invested capital before the collapse. Piesiewicz denies taking a bribe, saying he repaid Kral for the watch in installments.

Zondacrypto, once a major cryptocurrency exchange in Central and Eastern Europe, went offline in April 2026 amid questions over the custody of customer assets. Polish prosecutors have charged its head, Przemysław Kral, with participating in an alleged large-scale fraud. Investigators say the platform used only part of client deposits to buy crypto assets and transferred the remainder to private accounts controlled by its managers. Kral has denied misappropriating customer funds.

Polish outlet Onet reported on Aug. 24, 2026, that Kral had spent about six months negotiating possible cooperation with prosecutors, seeking a reduced sentence in return for testimony that may detail Zondacrypto’s financing of right-wing politicians. Prosecutors estimate customer losses at no less than 2.4 billion zlotys, or about $650 million, and have received more than 3,600 complaints. Informal discussions over a potential deal reportedly took place in Poland, Sicily and Persian Gulf countries.

Zondacrypto founder Suszek disappeared in Poland in 2022 and is suspected of having been killed, according to reports surrounding the case. The mystery carries unusually high financial stakes because he was said to be the only person who knew the private keys controlling 4,500 Bitcoin. With the holdings valued at more than $300 million, the loss of those credentials could leave the cryptocurrency permanently inaccessible, highlighting the custody risks created when control is concentrated in one individual.

Nearly four years after Suszek vanished, the lawyer who took over related responsibilities has also disappeared, deepening uncertainty over both the case and the assets. The private keys to the 4,500 Bitcoin remain unaccounted for, and there has been no credible indication that access to the holdings has been restored. Investigators now face two linked questions: what happened to Suszek and his successor, and whether any backup or alternative route to the wallets exists.