On a night when World record pole vaulter Armand Duplantis gave the ceremonial kick-off, AS Monaco kept their feet firmly on the ground, despite an emphatic win over European champions PSG (1-0).
Monaco began Saturday evening eight points away from the podium, their stated objective at the start of the season. “We have to realise that we are far away from the podium,” said manager Sébastien Pocognoli pre-match. “Even if the calendar is difficult, we have to get closer”. It is a tough run-up until the winter break for the Principality club, who will face Galatasaray and Marseille in December. But PSG, the reigning European champions and “maybe the best team in Europe”, in the words of Pocognoli, was the toughest test of all, or so it was thought.
But they caught PSG on an off night. Luis Enrique denounced Les Parisiens’ “worst match of the season”, and a “very, very bad night”. Possessional and territorial dominance define PSG, but they sustained neither for long periods in front of a packed house at the Stade Louis II.
Salisu assumes responsibility after midweek criticism
The best chances fell to Monaco, and specifically, to Mohammed Salisu, in the first half. The Ghana international was highly critical of his teammates’ “mentality” after the midweek draw to Pafos (2-2). Lukas Hradecky said that the comments, which also laid into Monaco’s forwards and their lack of efficiency, maybe “weren’t appropriate”, but Salisu took it upon himself to get the goals againstPSG. He went close with a half-volley in the opening minutes, before hitting the post and even putting the ball in the back of the net before the end of the first half. But having finally beaten Lucas Chevalier in goal in the 40th minute, his effort was ruled out for offside.
Chevalier was busy and in the wars in the opening 45 minutes. As well as denying Salisu, the France international then made an excellent save to deny Takumi Minamino’s volley. He was also the centre of the moment of controversy, and potentially the defining moment of the game. He was chopped down by Lamine Camara when attempting to clear. A yellow, rather than a red, was awarded, and VAR did not contradict referee Clément Turpin. The decision enraged PSG, with Chevalier himself saying that the challenge could have been “a turning point in his career”, such was his perceived brutality of the challenge. “I am very lucky,” added Chevalier.
Pogba makes home debut for Monaco
But luck did not shine on PSG’s side on the night. Luis Enrique’s side were uncharacteristically flat, and whilst Les Parisiens had two good chances in quick succession early in the second-half, the second a glanced header from Senny Mayulu, which flew just wide, it was Monaco who took a deserved lead.
It was an excellent ball down the line from Salisu, a measured cross from Aleksandr Golovin and a smart, composed finish from Minamino, in the bottom corner.
The Principality club would have to ride a wave of pressure. Monaco fell further back into a low-block in the final stages after Thilo Kehrer was shown a red card for impeding Ibrahim Mbaye, who was going through on goal. Paul Pogba was brought on for his home debut to shore up the defence, and Pocognoli’s side were compact and resolute.
Quentin Ndjantou slid when taking a shot from a tight angle, and a Vitinha half-volley forced Hradecky into action. Joao Neves gave Monaco a late fright, making his best Duplantis impression, leaping above the Monaco defence but heading over. Monaco held on for a much-deserved win and one that brings them closer to the European places.
“We have no reason to be too euphoric” – Scuro
CEO Thiago Scuro came into the mixed zone post-match, but sought to keep the celebrations measured. “Just as we weren’t panicking with the situation in the past weeks, we have no reason to be too euphoric. We showed our value. We deserved to win,” said the Brazilian.
But there is no downplaying the importance of the win, given the context, which Scuro perfectly summarised: “In terms of confidence and trust, it is important to win the game tonight. It has been a hard season for us to manage, very unstable. To be honest, we are not happy with our level since the beginning of the season; this is our reality. But to solve the problems, we need to be calm, we need to be smart. There is no magical solution, but there is a lot of hard work.”
His comments were mirrored by Pocognoli, who didn’t want to get carried away, describing an “accomplished performance”. He added, Today, we had a conquering mindset, an aggression, which was sometimes on the limit (a not so subtle not to that Camara incident), but I have no problem with that.”
“Step by step”, said Scuro, but some steps are bigger than others, and this certainly felt like a big one, on a big evening, against the biggest of opponents. But Monaco must back it up, starting against Brest next week.
In an industry as fast-moving and often misunderstood as cryptocurrency, few voices carry the weight of real-world experience like that of Przemysław Kral, CEO of zondacrypto – one of Europe’s longest-operating and most regulated crypto exchanges. Under his leadership, the company has expanded across borders, earned key licenses in high-barrier markets like the U.S., and pushed for stronger regulatory frameworks and investor education.
In this conversation, Cassandra Tanti speaks with Przemysław Kral about Zondacrypto’s recent entry into the American market, the so-called “Trump effect” on crypto policy, the critical role of education and regulation, and how sport has become a unique gateway for crypto adoption. From cycling in Monaco and onboarding football players via blockchain payments, to providing free cryptocurrency education programmes, his perspective reveals not only where the industry stands today, but where it’s heading next.
Firstly, Przemysław, congratulations on obtaining the Florida license and zondacrypto’s expansion into the American market.
Thank you so much. It was a really demanding process. We’re very happy because I think we’re one of the first European-based crypto exchanges to get a U.S. license. This one is state-level, but we’ll apply for the federal license too. I believe next year we’ll have it and be able to deliver services across most of the U.S.—except for New York and a few exceptions. It’s a major step forward. Our map now includes North America, and we’re proud of that.
Let’s talk about the Trump effect. With a pro-crypto president, that has to help exchanges like yours, right? Definitely. We’re a real-life example of the Trump Effect. We tried applying for the license for years under the previous administration. It was very difficult—the U.S. market was basically closed. I remember going to the CFC Forum in St. Moritz. It’s in January, and a lot of Americans attend. Many were saying, “We’re moving to Switzerland, Morocco, even Dubai to do crypto.”
After the elections, everything changed. They started coming back. In my opinion, America lost four years of crypto development. In this industry, four years is an era—you fall behind fast. Now, the U.S. is trying to catch up and is looking for more advanced crypto solutions. That’s the Trump effect: inviting companies like ours into the market. We’ve been active in emerging markets for the past 10, 11 years, and we didn’t lose time.
Tell us more about Zondacrypto—you’re one of Europe’s longest-running exchanges. Yes. We’ve been on the market for 11 years, which is like a lifetime in crypto. We started with Polish roots, then moved to Malta and Estonia. We applied early for a high-level license in Estonia. There were about 5,000 companies at first—then new regulations came in, and only around 50 remained. We’re now the biggest one. It’s prestigious, but very demanding.
We’re now working on obtaining the MiCA license, which is required to operate across the EU. We’re applying in Estonia and Cyprus. We also have an OTC license in Switzerland, where the market is very crypto-friendly and well-informed. Most of our customers are European. Business here is tougher than in Asia—you need to meet higher compliance standards. We’re preparing for U.S. expansion now, but Asia is also on the horizon.
Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral at a Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation fundraiser at the Prince’s Car Museum in Monaco
Let’s talk about regulation. It’s essential for expansion, but there’s a lot of misinformation and confusion. How do you deal with that? Regulation is extremely important. Some crypto companies say it kills the market—and sometimes it does make growth harder. If regulators don’t understand the business, they can create roadblocks.
But overall, regulation helps civilize the market. European regulation is now close to banking standards, and that’s good. Customers want to feel safe. They want to know the company they’re dealing with is compliant and trustworthy. A more regulated environment builds trust.
That said, regulation alone isn’t enough. Education is also key. I always say — don’t invest even one euro unless you understand crypto. If you’re not educated, it doesn’t work.
Valtteri Bottas is a Zondacrypto ambassador and a supporter of the zondacrypto Academy
And that’s why you launched the zondacrypto Academy? Exactly. The Academy is our solution. We’re active in Monaco and beyond. It’s a free platform where people can learn about crypto, from the basics to more advanced trading topics.
It’s a simple, friendly way to build knowledge. The more people understand crypto, the more adoption grows. We don’t offer investment advice, but education helps people assess for themselves whether something is a safe investment.
This project is for people who want to go beyond headlines—crypto is not just scams and money laundering. There are many similarities with the traditional stock market, and step by step, anyone can become confident enough to invest.
One major criticism is that crypto isn’t based on anything real. How do you respond to that? I always tell people to compare it with fiat currency. Central banks can print unlimited money, which leads to inflation. During COVID and other crises, most banks printed money not backed by anything.
Crypto is different. Most cryptocurrencies are deflationary. They have a fixed supply controlled by algorithms—you can’t just create more. In fact, coins can be burned, which creates deflation.
In my view, fiat is backed by even less than crypto. We explain this in our Academy, where people can learn and decide for themselves.
What are the benefits of crypto for business and global trade? Let me give a real example. We work with many football clubs. One club in Poland wanted to buy a player from Senegal, but many European banks won’t send money to Senegal—it’s on a greylist.
The player was ready to travel, bags packed, but the transfer couldn’t go through. The club’s CEO called and said, “They’re open to crypto—can we make it work?” We onboarded them, sent the crypto, and the player arrived within hours. He now plays in the Polish league and is one of the top performers.
This isn’t just about football. Crypto is perfect for fast, safe cross-border payments—much faster than SWIFT. I believe in the near future, you’ll be able to pay at Starbucks or McDonald’s with crypto without even thinking about it. It’s already happening—you can buy football and hockey tickets with crypto.
In Switzerland, we’re partnered with HC Davos, and some players want part of their salaries in crypto. They’re from all over the world and can convert it easily. This is the future. Digital money is what our children will use daily.
Prince Albert II at this year’s Top Marques Monaco with sponsor Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral, second from left
What needs to happen for that future to arrive sooner? Good question. I see two possible scenarios.
Right now, crypto is where the internet was in the ’90s—when we were using dial-up modems. The first scenario is rapid adoption, driven by better education and awareness of the benefits. If that happens, things will move very fast.
The second scenario is slower growth, if regulation becomes too restrictive. That could delay adoption for years.
It all depends on how quickly we spread education—not just among experts, but regular people. The more people understand crypto, the faster it will become part of everyday life.
What about the negatives? People still remember the scandals and exchange collapses. Yes, and these things will happen again. Regulation helps, but it can’t eliminate scams completely—just like traditional banking can’t eliminate fraud.
The difference now is that regulators are better informed. They’re more cautious about who gets licensed. That protects the market and customers.
We’ve learned from past failures, and that knowledge is being used to strengthen the system. It won’t be perfect everywhere, but we’re heading in the right direction.
Zondacrypto’s Przemysław Kral (right) with AS Monaco Basketball CEO Oleksiy Yefimov
Let’s go back to sport. zondacrypto is a major sponsor of football, basketball, ice hockey, and cycling. What’s the strategy behind that? Our marketing strategy is built around sport—and it works. We’ve studied our audience. Most are men, slightly older, with money to invest. Many are fans of football, basketball, cycling.
When they see our brand in stadiums or on jerseys, it builds awareness—even if they don’t know us at first. But it goes deeper.
Take Atalanta Bergamo. We partnered with them and the University of Bergamo to run an education program for MBA students. It was planned as a short workshop, but it lasted four hours because students were so engaged. We even hired some of them afterward.
So yes, sport and crypto go well together. We’re also the main sponsor of AS Monaco Basketball—one of the best clubs in the world. And the atmosphere at games here in Monaco is incredible, unlike anywhere else in the world. We support the Polish Olympic Federation and created the first Olympic token in the world. When the CEO of the Polish Olympic Committee attended a game, he told me it was one of the best he’d ever seen.
We also back events like BeKing in Monaco. This year, we’re proud to help host the first women’s pro-level cycling competition. Sport is a gateway to crypto—and the other way around too.
Zondacrypto has become a well-known name in Monaco, supporting everything from basketball and football to Top Marques Monaco. Why such a strong focus on the local community? It’s not just football and basketball—we’re involved in motorsport and cycling too. We work with ambassadors like Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell. Our Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto team is racing at BeKing — the first time a women’s pro team competes in Monaco.
Monaco is a global sports hub. Around 80% of the world’s top athletes live or train here. I love cycling, and here you see stars like Tadej Pogačar and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot regularly.
Next year, the Tour de France will end in Monaco and Nice. It’s incredible. We also support local charity events like the Champagne and Oysters Cycle Club ride from St. Tropez to Monaco. It’s about 140 kilometers, and Prince Albert participated again this year—for the 10th time. Monaco is paradise for sport lovers, and we’re proud to support the community.
There’s a lot going on in crypto right now. What’s your take on the current market? This cycle feels different. Normally, we’d expect the market to go down now — but it hasn’t. We’re in a kind of pause. No one knows what comes next.
Some say Bitcoin will hit $500,000, others say it will be less than $0. The truth is likely somewhere in between. What’s clear is that the market is deeper now. Traditional finance players are involved and that makes it harder to manipulate.
People thought ETFs would trigger a boom, but they haven’t had much impact. I always say ETFs are like licking a lollipop through a window — you can not get the real taste. I am not a great fan of ETFs; I am a fan of people gaining the knowledge so they can invest in crypto themselves.
So, we will see what happens in the near future, but the fact is the situation has changed and it is now very hard to predict. Projects are on the stable line and the altcoins market hasn’t exploded like in previous cycles. But in my experience, December is always a time for change in crypto, so we shall see what happens over the next few months. But honestly, sometimes Trump’s tweets move the market more than global economics. So that’s the new reality, that’s also the Trump Effect.
What’s next for zondacrypto? We want to secure the MiCA license as soon as possible. That’s a priority. We’ll continue expanding in the U.S., but we’re also focusing on developing tokens for athletes and sports organisations.
After launching our project with the Polish Olympic Committee, others from around the world reached out. They see it as a new way to support and engage fans. We think this connection between sport and crypto is the future — for zondacrypto, and for the industry.
