Polish court detains fifth suspect in Zondacrypto exchange probe

A Katowice court approved pretrial detention for a fifth suspect in the Zondacrypto investigation on September 7, marking another escalation in what has become one of Europe’s largest crypto fraud cases. The suspect, identified as Roman Ż., faces charges of membership in an organized criminal group and computer fraud tied to the misappropriation of at least 7.8 million złoty, roughly $2 million, from client funds.

Total client losses linked to the collapsed exchange are estimated at no less than 350 million złoty, approximately $94 million. Over 3,600 formal complaints have been filed.

From BitBay to courtroom

Zondacrypto started life as BitBay back in 2014, eventually rebranding in 2021. At its peak, the platform boasted more than 1.3 million registered users, making it one of Poland’s most prominent digital asset exchanges.

Things unraveled in April 2026 when trading on the platform was halted entirely. Users found themselves locked out of their funds, and withdrawal complaints piled up fast. The National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice formally opened an investigation on April 17, 2026.

Roman Ż. was reportedly a former business associate of the exchange’s founder, Sylwester Suszek. Suszek vanished in March 2022, along with CEO Przemysław Kral. Neither disappearance has been publicly resolved.

Before Roman Ż.’s arrest, four other suspects had already been taken into custody in late August and early September 2026. Among them is Radosław Piesiewicz, the president of the Polish Olympic Committee. Charges across the group include asset misappropriation and money laundering.

No suspect has publicly admitted guilt.

Cross-border coordination and frozen assets

Polish prosecutors are not working alone on this one. The investigation involves coordination with Estonian authorities. Prosecutors have already extended the investigation timeline to January 2027.

In one notable development, investigators managed to freeze approximately €4 million sitting in a French bank account connected to the case.

What the probe means for Poland’s crypto landscape

The political dimension, specifically the detention of a sitting Olympic Committee president, ensures this case will remain in Polish headlines well beyond the crypto press. Regulatory conversations in Poland were already heating up as the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework rolls into full implementation.

For the exchange’s 1.3 million registered users, the immediate concern is whether any meaningful portion of the estimated $94 million in losses can be recovered. Asset freezes like the €4 million in France are a start, but they represent a fraction of the total.

With the investigation extended through early 2027 and five suspects now in custody, the Zondacrypto probe is still in its middle chapters.

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