CRYPTOCURRENCIES IN THE POLISH LEGAL SYSTEM – BASIC PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The article presents a sketch of the most important legal and normative problems and challenges that are directly related to the emergence and development of cryptocurrencies. The case study is Poland, where in the first phase of existence, Bitcoin and other altcoins were considered property rights. Since 2018, under the Act on counteracting money laundering and terrorist financing, thanks to the unification of European Union law, they are classified as virtual currencies. The challenges identified in the course of the analysis that must be addressed include: the problem of creating an effective regulatory framework for the functioning of cryptocurrencies and placing them in the legal system; the problem of regulating relations with state institutions as monopolists in the field of finance and the worldwide trend of abandoning cash in favor of electronic payments and the formation of a cashless society