New revelations have surfaced regarding Zondacrypto, a now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange, and its sponsorship arrangement with the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl). According to reports, Zondacrypto had the rights to use the faces, voices, and images of Olympic athletes as part of its general sponsorship agreement.
The official sponsor of the Polish Olympic team, according to a document dated October 2025, is the Czech company Expofer Servis House s.r.o. from Ostrava. The contract was reportedly signed in Bergamo, Italy, but it has aroused skepticism among various members of the PKOl, who claim they were not informed about the discussions led by Radosław Piesiewicz. Krzysztof Wiłkomirski, president of the Polish Judo Association and PKOl board member, stated, “President Piesiewicz concealed talks with the potential sponsor and subsequently withheld the contract details for over six months.” He emphasized that the board would not have approved such a deal due to ethical concerns.
Wiłkomirski described the agreement as “dramatic and risky,” warning that athletes’ endorsements could enhance the sponsor’s image while jeopardizing individuals’ careers.
Expert Analysis: Sponsorship Agreement Favors the Sponsor
According to the terms of the contract, the sponsor had the right to ” disseminate or process” the images of athletes in Olympic attire, including their faces, body types, or voices. Zondacrypto was permitted to use these rights across all media without territorial restrictions. Additionally, PKOl committed to granting the sponsor rights to the images of former athletes who participated in eight Olympic Games, from London 2012 to Milan-Cortina 2026.
The agreement also allowed the sponsor’s affiliated companies and collaborating marketing and advertising agencies to benefit from these rights. Notably, PKOl assured that athletes would not be able to claim rights related to their images, and in the event of any disputes, the committee would cover all costs.
Moreover, the contract included provisions for the sponsor to receive monthly data on followers of the Olympic team’s Facebook profile through Custom Audiences, allowing Zondacrypto to target its communications to specific groups of Olympic representation followers.
Under the disclosed contract, PKOl was to receive 18,489,469 PLN net in seven installments by the end of 2028. The first two payments, totaling 989,469 PLN, were made prior to signing the agreement. Additionally, 5 million PLN was paid in ZND tokens to an account managed on the sponsor’s platform.
Legal expert Jarosław Chałas commented that the arrangement is evidently structured to benefit the sponsor, noting that PKOl has provided extensive access to its assets, brand, Olympic symbolism, athlete images, communication channels, and the Olympic community, while simultaneously assuming significant project-related risks. TVN24 has yet to receive a response from PKOl regarding inquiries about the sponsorship deal.
