Polish lower house passes sanctions bill allowing crypto assets to be frozen before court review

November 9 - According to The Defiant, the lower house of the Polish parliament has passed a broader sanctions framework bill that includes crypto assets, bank balances, and real estate within the scope of restrictive measures. Clients placed on the sanctions list may be unable to access assets held on crypto trading platforms before a court reviews their designation; even if an appeal is filed, the restrictions will not be automatically lifted, and judicial challenges will proceed after the designation.

The bill was passed on November 6 with 240 votes in favor, 202 against, and 1 abstention. It proposes that the Minister of Interior maintain a national-level sanctions list and be able to issue asset restriction orders against individuals or entities included on it. Banks and crypto trading platforms must enforce freezing orders; for self-custodied wallets, the administrative order itself will not give authorities access to private keys, and enforcement still depends on whether the relevant assets can be identified and their transactions restricted. The proposal is not a blanket freeze on crypto assets within Poland and applies only to those placed on the list.

The bill has been submitted to the Senate for review and still requires signature by President Karol Nawrocki before it can take effect. This domestic sanctions mechanism will operate alongside existing EU sanctions and is distinct from the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, which mainly governs licensing for crypto service providers. Opposition lawmakers and legal organizations have expressed concerns about restricting property without prior judicial approval.