Secret meeting between prosecutors and the head of Zondacrypto - what do we know?
The case of the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto is gathering dramatic pace. According to "Rzeczpospolita" in its Monday edition of 27 July 2026, a secret meeting took place in one of the Persian Gulf countries between Przemysław Kral, the head of Zondacrypto, and prosecutor Marek Wełna from the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Public Prosecutor's Office. The head of one of the regional branches of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) was also part of the delegation.
The aim of the meeting was reportedly to persuade Kral to cooperate as a crown witness. Only a narrow circle of people knew about the trip abroad, which shows the importance of the negotiations and the sensitivity of the whole proceedings. The National Public Prosecutor's Office has not officially confirmed this information, but - importantly - it has not denied it either.
It is worth stressing that Przemysław Kral is not currently a suspect in any criminal offence and does not appear on any wanted list. Nevertheless, for three months he has remained out of reach of both the clients of the Estonian exchange and the law enforcement authorities. According to media reports he is currently in Israel, although he previously lived in Monaco.
The crown witness institution - what does it mean in practice?
The crown witness institution is regulated in Polish law by the Act of 25 June 1997 on the crown witness. It is a procedural tool used in cases concerning organised crime, which allows a suspect to obtain impunity in return for full and honest cooperation with the justice system.
To obtain crown witness status, a person must meet a number of conditions. Above all, they undertake to give exhaustive testimony concerning all the circumstances of the offence and the persons involved. The prosecution must conclude that the information obtained in this way is crucial for breaking up the criminal group and cannot be obtained in any other way.
In the context of the Zondacrypto case, Kral obtaining crown witness status could be a breakthrough. His knowledge could help to reveal:
- The inner workings of the cryptocurrency exchange and the mechanisms used to manage client funds
- The possible involvement of organised criminal groups in operations on the platform
- The practice of money laundering using cryptocurrencies
- The circumstances of the disappearance of Sylwester Suszek - the founder of the exchange (formerly BitBay)
- Links between the world of cryptocurrencies and the fuel mafia
Scale of the investigation - thousands of victims and an international dimension
Staggering numbers
The investigation into Zondacrypto, which officially began on 17 April 2026, has quickly grown into one of the largest economic proceedings in Polish history. The prosecutor's office has already received more than 3,600 criminal complaints, and investigators have questioned almost a thousand people. During mass searches of offices and homes across the country, 162 items of electronic equipment and more than 250 terabytes of data from the exchange's servers were seized.
The exchange's crisis erupted in early April 2026, when the media revealed that the platform's bitcoin reserves had fallen by 99 per cent and users had lost the ability to withdraw their funds. A wallet containing around 4,500 bitcoins worth almost $300 million turned out to be inaccessible. The cryptographic keys to it were reportedly held by Sylwester Suszek, who has been missing since 2022.
International cooperation
The proceedings reach far beyond Poland's borders. The prosecutor's office has sent requests for international legal assistance to Italy and Switzerland, and is also coordinating action with the justice authorities in Monaco. A Polish-Estonian investigation team has also been set up, because Zondacrypto formally operated as an exchange registered in Estonia. This international dimension significantly complicates the procedural position of victims, who have to navigate the maze of regulations of several jurisdictions at once.
The dark background - the founder's disappearance and the shadow of the fuel mafia
The Zondacrypto scandal also has a criminal thread that goes beyond typical economic crimes. Sylwester Suszek, the founder of the exchange previously operating as BitBay, disappeared in 2022 after visiting a fuel company belonging to Marian W. This man has already been charged with deprivation of liberty of the person referred to in the media as the "king of cryptocurrencies".
What is more, Marian W. is suspected of leading an international criminal group that allegedly issued fictitious VAT invoices totalling PLN 1.3 billion. Although the thread concerning Suszek's disappearance is being handled separately, both cases create a disturbing picture of the links between the world of major digital finance and organised economic crime.
President Kral initially rejected the allegations concerning the state of the exchange's reserves, calling the analyses "erroneous and harmful". However, the scale of the problem quickly proved impossible to hide - hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies remain inaccessible to their rightful owners, and the legal liability of the individuals involved is still being established.
Victims' rights - how to protect your interests?
For the thousands of people who have lost access to their funds on the Zondacrypto exchange, it is crucial to take appropriate legal steps as soon as possible. Regardless of whether the prosecutor's office secures Kral's cooperation, every victim should take care to protect their own interests.
The most important actions worth taking include:
- Filing a notification of suspected criminal offence - if this has not yet been done, it is the basic step enabling you to obtain the status of an injured party in criminal proceedings.
- Securing evidence - all correspondence with the exchange, transaction confirmations, screenshots and transaction histories may be of key evidential importance.
- Filing civil law claims - regardless of the criminal proceedings, it is possible to seek compensation through the civil courts, including by means of a class action.
- Monitoring the proceedings - as an injured party you have the right to information on the course of the investigation and the procedural steps taken.
- Consulting a lawyer specialising in financial markets law - given the international nature of the case and the complexity of the regulations on crypto-assets, professional legal support is invaluable.
It is worth remembering that in cases of such scale and complexity, the limitation periods for claims run regardless of the progress of the investigation. Every month of delay may mean losing the opportunity to enforce your rights.
Contact our firm - do not wait for developments
The Zondacrypto scandal shows how important professional legal assistance is in matters relating to the cryptocurrency market. The international nature of the proceedings, the involvement of many jurisdictions and the complex links between entities make pursuing claims on your own extremely difficult.
If you are one of the people harmed by the activities of the Zondacrypto exchange, or you are concerned about the safety of your funds on other cryptocurrency platforms - contact our firm. Our lawyers specialising in financial markets law and regulations on crypto-assets will help you assess your legal position, secure your claims and take effective steps to recover lost funds. Do not delay - the sooner you act, the greater the chance of protecting your interests.
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