Poland's Sejm failed on September 4 to override President Karol Nawrocki's veto of legislation needed to implement parts of the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, prolonging a licensing gap more than two months after Poland's transition period expired. Lawmakers recorded 241 votes in favor, 198 against, and three abstentions, falling short of the two-thirds majority required to overcome the June 11 veto.
Without the legislation, Poland has yet to designate the domestic authority required to process crypto-asset service provider applications under MiCA. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority has stated that authorization proceedings cannot begin until this designation is made by law.
Closed old routes, open foreign paths
The deadlock creates an asymmetry in market access. On July 1, Poland's maximum MiCA transition period expired, ending reliance on the country's previous virtual-currency activity register. The Katowice Tax Administration Chamber confirmed that entries on that register no longer provide authorization.
However, EU-licensed crypto providers retain a route into Poland through MiCA's cross-border passport mechanism. An authorized service provider can notify its home regulator of the countries and services it intends to cover and begin cross-border activity once the information is transmitted or after applicable waiting periods. Polish regulators have confirmed this route remains available.
Incentives to seek foreign authorization
The distinction between old and new licensing routes follows the entity providing the service rather than the nationality of its owners. A Polish crypto company could reach domestic customers through an affiliate that has obtained MiCA authorization elsewhere in the EU and completed the cross-border notification process, but a company relying solely on its old Polish registration cannot operate.
This creates an incentive for firms unwilling to wait for Polish legislation to seek authorization in another EU member state where the MiCA licensing machinery is already operational. For applicants remaining in Poland, the next opening depends on lawmakers passing legislation that designates a competent authority.
