(MENAFN) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Thursday that threats to the country’s economic and state security are increasingly intertwined with the cryptocurrency market and suspected Russian influence, during a rare closed session of the Sejm.

At the center of the debate is a bill aimed at tightening oversight of the cryptocurrency market, which the new president has vetoed over concerns it could stifle innovation. The government argues the legislation is essential to protect small investors and safeguard Poland’s financial system from opaque money flows.

By linking crypto to “Russian agents” and “sabotage,” Tusk’s administration is framing what might otherwise appear as a financial regulatory measure as a national security priority in Poland’s hybrid warfare environment. Officials also suggested that certain media outlets and former political networks could be connected to speculative assets and opaque funding channels vulnerable to foreign interference.

Intelligence-style briefings presented to lawmakers highlighted the role of cryptocurrencies in potential hybrid threats, including financing local agents, laundering cybercrime proceeds, and supporting media projects that amplify Kremlin narratives. Analysts note that Poland’s approach signals a trend in which regulatory battles over media, tech, and finance are increasingly couched in the language of state security and hybrid warfare.

The warning comes amid a backdrop of repeated Russian-Belarusian provocations: drone incursions, shoot-downs near the eastern border, sabotage attempts against railway infrastructure, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and spikes in migration pressure along the Polish–Belarusian frontier.

Critics from the PiS party argue Tusk is using the heightened security climate to justify over-restrictive crypto regulations and undermine predecessors, while supporters emphasize the secrecy of the briefing reflects sensitive intelligence sources and ongoing investigations.

Poland’s debate highlights how cryptocurrencies, once primarily a financial concern, are now being positioned as a potential battlefield in modern hybrid conflicts.

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