Zondacrypto, a Polish cryptocurrency exchange, is under intense scrutiny after Prime Minister Donald Tusk linked the company to interference in legislative matters. The exchange has been dealing with issues of delayed or frozen customer withdrawals, and Tusk's comments have further fueled the controversy. In an attempt to address the allegations, Zondacrypto's CEO, Przemysław Kral, revealed that the exchange owns a bitcoin wallet containing approximately 4,500 BTC, valued at around $330 million. However, the company is unable to access the funds due to a missing private key, which was not handed over by the previous CEO, Sylwester Suszek, in 2021.
Suszek has been missing for four years. Kral denied any misuse of client funds and claimed that the exchange remains profitable. The situation has sparked a broader debate about the company's practices and regulatory oversight.
An analysis by blockchain intelligence firm Recoveris found that bitcoin balances in hot wallets tied to Zonda have dropped by about 99% since mid-2024. The controversy surrounding Zondacrypto is not new, with the company facing previous accusations of unauthorized financial activities and links to criminal individuals. In 2019, Poland's Financial Supervision Authority placed BitBay, the company's previous name, on its public warning list.
The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has also been investigating Zonda's owner, BB Trade Estonia, for violating consumer interests since January 2025.