Poland faces a new stage in the Zondacrypto affair, after three arrests decided on Wednesday by the authorities. The investigation focuses on the collapse of this major platform, marked by the cessation of withdrawals and heavy losses for users. Among those arrested was trader Rafał Zaorski, known in the financial world. The investigations also examine suspicions of fraud, money laundering and links with several actors on the national political scene.
In brief
- Three new people have been arrested in the investigation into the Zondacrypto collapse.
- Rafał Zaorski, famous Polish trader, is among those arrested in the case.
- Authorities are investigating suspected fraud, money laundering and embezzlement.
- Zondacrypto’s collapse may have affected more than 30,000 users, resulting in at least $95 million in losses.
- The affair also takes on a political dimension, with suspicions of links between Zondacrypto and several public figures.
Three arrests which relaunch the investigation in Poland
Law enforcement officials have arrested three new people as part of the criminal investigation into the collapse of Zondacrypto. Two suspects, identified by the initials JW and AP, were arrested by the Katowice provincial police. At the same time, the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime arrested RZ, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office quoted by the business news portal Money.pl. These operations show that investigators are now broadening their searches around people linked to the case.
The arrests took place at the request of the prosecution, which also ordered several seizures. Authorities targeted luxury vehicles, valuable items and a large sum of money. These measures come as the file brings together several avenues on the management of the platform and the relationships between protagonists. They concern in particular several people already cited in the investigations.
Polish media identified JW and AP as Jaromira W. and Anna P. Jaromira W. is the former wife of Marian W., nicknamed “Maniek”, presented as a central suspect in the disappearance of Sylwester Suszek. Anna P., for her part, would have worked closely with Marian W. Their arrests therefore add two new names to a case already marked by several disappearances and interrogations.
Rafał Zaorski at the heart of the new judicial aspect
Rafał Zaorski was also taken to the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice on August 2. Journalists present on site saw him enter the premises under escort. “ I am a victime,” he said before heading into the building, without providing further details. His arrest attracts attention because of his mentioned links with Sylwester Suszek and his activity in the digital assets sector.
Zaorski is among the best-known Polish stock investors. He became known for publishing the results of his financial operations, including gains and losses of several million dollars. In April 2026, he was convicted of using inside information when trading Merlin shares.
In the Zondacrypto case, Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek indicated that those arrested could have information about Suszek. This lead concerns in particular Zaorski, linked to the missing entrepreneur and his digital asset trading company. The authorities are seeking to clarify the relationships between the actors in the case and the exact place of each.
From BitBay to Zondacrypto, a fall linked to liquidity
The history of Zondacrypto dates back to the launch of BitBay in Poland in 2014. Sylwester Suszek created the platform and also served as CEO before selling the platform to a Russian mafia group according to some local reports relayed by Cryptopolitan. BitBay later changed its name to Zondacrypto. The company then moved its headquarters to Estonia and continued operations under a license obtained by BB Trade, an entity registered in this Baltic country.
Under the leadership of Przemysław Kral, who took charge at the beginning of 2021, Zondacrypto has become one of the leading trading platforms in Eastern Europe. Suszek then disappeared, while Kral accused him in a video posted on X of never handing over the keys to a wallet containing 4,500 BTC. Later, Kral himself disappeared after denying, in mid-April 2026, that the platform was experiencing difficulties. The media estimate that he would have won Israel, then Dubai.
Zondacrypto’s collapse began after liquidity issues caused withdrawals to stop. The investigation opened on April 17 by the Katowice public prosecutor’s office concerns suspicions of large-scale fraud and money laundering. According to Polish media, Kral finally agreed to help the authorities understand the case. The case may have affected more than 30,000 users and resulted in at least $95 million in losses.
A political dimension that widens the scandal
The Zondacrypto file now goes beyond just the financial question. The leaders of the platform are accused of having sponsored events and conservative political figures in order to obtain regulations favorable to cryptocurrencies. This political dimension adds a new axis to investigations in Poland. It comes at a time when the legal framework for digital assets remains at the center of debate.
The centrist and liberal government of Donald Tusk has proposed a law on the crypto-asset market. The president Karol Nawrocki, however, blocked it twice with a veto. The text returns to Parliament this week, while the investigation into Zondacrypto continues to progress. In Poland, the political context therefore gives additional scope to the questions raised by the links between private actors and public officials.
Other arrests had already marked the case. At the end of August, the authorities had notably placed Radosław Piesiewicz in custodypresident of the Polish Olympic Committee. He is suspected of having accepted a watch worth 40,000 euros offered by the director of Zondacrypto. This gift would have been linked to favorable treatment in the platform’s sponsorship agreements.
The new series of arrests therefore maintains judicial pressure around Zondacrypto. In Poland, investigators have yet to clarify the role of those arrested and the exact circumstances of the collapse. The investigations will also have to determine the extent of the losses and the possible links between the financial, crypto and political aspects. The next step will depend on the information collected by the authorities and its use in the procedure.
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