Polish Court Grabs 5th Suspect in Zondacrypto Probe
Polish Court Detains Fifth Suspect in Zondacrypto Exchange Probe
A Polish court has ordered the detention of a fifth suspect in an expanding criminal investigation tied to cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto, according to local and industry reports.
Prosecutors have charged Roman Ż. with two alleged offenses: participation in an organized criminal group and the misappropriation of 7.8 million zlotys (about $2.1 million) in user funds. Authorities allege the money was taken through unauthorized changes to records and interference with data. Prosecutors are also seeking pretrial detention, and the suspect has denied the charges.
The case has widened rapidly in recent weeks. Police previously detained stock-market investor Rafał Z., along with Jaromira W. and Anna P.. A court approved continued pretrial detention for all three for up to three months, and local reports said each denied wrongdoing.
Zondacrypto is one of the larger exchanges operating in Central and Eastern Europe. It holds an Estonian licence but serves a predominantly Polish customer base. The exchange traces its roots to 2014, when it launched as BitBay. In 2021, the business was sold to a U.S. investor and later rebranded as Zondacrypto under new management led by Przemysław Kral.
The investigation has drawn particular attention because it overlaps with earlier controversies around BitBay’s founder Sylwester Suszek, who disappeared in March 2022 after a business meeting. His fate remains unknown and is still under investigation by Polish authorities.
Polish prosecutors have indicated the probe spans thousands of customer complaints and have identified several hundred possible victims. Authorities have also cited potential losses of at least 350 million zlotys (€82.8 million) in the broader investigation into the troubled exchange.
The case matters beyond Poland because it highlights the operational and governance risks that can emerge at centralized exchanges, particularly when allegations involve internal record changes and access to customer data. It has also renewed scrutiny of continuity and accountability at crypto firms, amid reports that two chief executives tied to the exchange have vanished four years apart, leaving 1.3 million clients reportedly unable to access accounts.
