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Raiffeisen's 18m-customer crypto push expands Bitpanda access across 11 CEE markets. September 24, 2026 Key Takeaways: * Raiffeisen Bank International and Bitpanda are developing a digital-asset-services group-wide framework in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). * Bitpanda Enterprise will be responsible for the infrastructure, which may be extended through RBI's network of over 18 million customers. * The rollout will occur market by market, as a crypto-banking model was first implemented by a Raiffeisen bank in Austria in 2024. User Score Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is taking its crypto strategy beyond Austria, partnering with Bitpanda to build a common framework for digital assets across its Central and Eastern European network. The deal puts crypto closer to the banking apps and financial relationships already used by millions of customers. Table of contents. Bitpanda infrastructure behind RBI's crypto expansion. In exchange for the partnership, RBI's network banks get access to Bitpanda Enterprise, the B2B infrastructure arm of the European crypto platform. The framework won't mandate banks to create their own technology stack for digital assets, but instead to offer a shared infrastructure layer. Bitpanda Enterprise claims their institutional technology addresses digital-asset investment infrastructure, liquidity, custody, payments, stablecoins and tokenization. The introduction of services will be a decision for individual RBI banks based on the local markets and regulatory needs. The group serves 18.8 million customers; RBI has subsidiary banks in 11 CEE markets. Some 18 million customers is the potential regional size of the digital-asset framework, the companies say, not the number receiving crypto services right now. Austria pilot becomes the expansion model. It followed a 2024 integration that made Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien) one of the first traditional EU banks to offer customers access to crypto via an established banking framework via Bitpanda. The new arrangement changes the scale of that model. RBI and Bitpanda are creating an integration framework instead of one bank which could be followed by the entire banking ecosystem. RBI CEO Michael Höllerer said the bank is witnessing increasing demand for crypto assets in its markets and is catering it via its collaboration with Bitpanda. It's also evidence of a larger B2B trend in crypto: banks can leverage specialised infrastructure providers instead of building out everything themselves. According to Bitpanda's research, licensing and ease of integration are key factors for financial institutions when selecting crypto partners. Rollout will depend on local crypto rules. The partnership does not imply that the same crypto products will be available in all 11 markets at the same time. RBI and Bitpanda said they will implement it in a gradual manner that is customized by the jurisdiction. That's the actual product and services that will be offered, and the fees (prepaid or recurring) that the customer will pay, for each market launch and not for one single offering regionwide. For Bitpanda, the deal adds another major banking distribution channel in Europe. For RBI, it provides a common technological foundation for expanding digital-asset services while leaving individual markets to determine how those services are introduced. Isabella Flores Blockchain Adoption Reporter Isabella specializes in tracking how blockchain technology is transforming industries worldwide. She previously worked as a business analyst for a fintech startup before pivoting to journalism. Her pieces explore the real-world applications of blockchain, from supply chain to healthcare. Isabella is passionate about highlighting underrepresented use cases in the crypto space.

RBI Bitpanda partnership targets crypto access across 18 million customers. Raiffeisen Bank International and Bitpanda Enterprise have created a shared digital asset framework for banks across Central and Eastern Europe. The initiative could extend crypto services to more than 18 million customers, while each participating bank will control its own product offering and launch schedule. Raiffeisen Bank International has partnered with Bitpanda Enterprise to develop a digital assets architecture covering Central and Eastern Europe. The framework gives network banks a route to potentially offer crypto services to 18 million customers. Table of contents. What does the RBI Bitpanda partnership offer banks? According to a report, the RBI Bitpanda collaboration grants Raiffeisen Group banks joint use of the Bitpanda digital assets infrastructure, which is flexible and scalable. Bitpanda confirmed that each Raiffeisen bank retains discretion to select specific offerings based on regulatory requirements, local demand, and business priorities. The collaboration builds on the proven success of Bitpanda's technology and platform integration within Raiffeisen Austrian banks, wherein customers interact with cryptocurrency using existing bank account infrastructure. The structure preserves the bank as the primary point of contact with customers. Users are able to use digital asset services without having to open an account with an external digital asset exchange. RBI has subsidiaries in 11 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The group has over 18 million customers, employs approximately 42,000, and operates almost 1,300 business locations. Therefore, the RBI Bitpanda partnership has greater potential scope compared to prior integrations solely within Austria with specific Austrian banks. Nonetheless, there is no uniform roll-out schedule agreed upon by this partnership. How Raiffeisen expanded its Bitpanda banking model. The collaboration between Raiffeisen and Bitpanda emerged via its subsidiary Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien). This Austrian financial services corporation is one of the earliest established European Union banks to integrate cryptocurrencies into its existing banking ecosystem. Bitpanda delivered the technological infrastructure for this product offering, wherein customers gained exposure to digital currencies using their banking institutions' portals as single sign-on points. Other Raiffeisen banks later adopted the same model. In June, Raiffeisen Landesbank Tirol launched a digital asset service powered by Bitpanda Enterprise. The RBI Bitpanda partnership expands upon Bitpanda's prior partnership in Austria with an additional participating bank. The collaboration provides banks with a unified infrastructure model, which can be leveraged when launching digital asset offerings. Bitpanda Enterprise offers trading infrastructure, custodial services, liquidity provision, payment solutions, stablecoin issuance, and tokenization capabilities. Such services may facilitate the development of various digital assets via existing bank infrastructures. The platform integrates seamlessly with existing banking financial service offerings, thus enabling institutions to expand into cryptocurrencies without constructing an entire digital asset ecosystem from the ground up. What is driving Bitpanda's institutional expansion? This development is set against the backdrop of Bitpanda expanding its offerings towards the institutional end of its client base within Europe. Earlier in September, Bitpanda Enterprise announced its partnership with BW-Bank for the incorporation of digital asset capabilities alongside its traditional banking services. Bitpanda has also partnered with leading financial institutions, such as IG Europe. The company was selected by IG Europe in May as the provider of liquidity, market data, and trading connectivity. The Austrian business has been in a partnership with Deutsche Bank since 2024. Initially, the cooperation allowed German Bitpanda users access to local IBANs and real-time payment infrastructure, and then Deutsche Bank started working on plans for Bitcoin and Ethereum custody. In 2025, Bitpanda achieved revenue of €371M, representing a 16% increase from the previous year. The company grew both retail products and white label services, and its user base grew to 7.4 million. The growth is a sign of Bitpanda's overall strategy to expand into institutional infrastructure in addition to its consumer operations. The company has been increasingly marketing itself as a technology solution for banks and financial institutions entering the digital assets space. How European banks are expanding regulated crypto services. The framework emerges against a backdrop of growing involvement of traditional banks within the regulated cryptocurrency market of the European Union. Traditional banks accounted for nearly 23% of firms listed on the ESMA Crypto Assets Register as of Sept. 16, after their number more than doubled from about 40 in late June to around 80. The total number of registered crypto providers increased from 243 to 349 in this time frame. German cooperative banks featured prominently amongst this expansion too. A further six cooperatives were added in August, bringing the total number of registered German crypto asset service providers up to 79. EU legislative provisions grant banks access via another avenue under MiCA. Banks are entitled to offer covered crypto services by providing certain data to their home regulator, under Title IV of MiCA Chapter VI. The companies dealing in crypto must be authorized as crypto asset service providers. The rules add crypto activities such as custodian wallet providers, crypto transfers, trading execution services, crypto portfolio management services, and conversions of crypto-assets into funds, subject to permission granted. The RBI Bitpanda partnership facilitates the provision of such services by Bitpanda Partner banks, using the technological infrastructure developed by Bitpanda. Each individual bank's regulatory capacity and operational jurisdiction shall determine its product scope. When will RBI banks launch crypto services? RBI has not fixed any rollout schedule for the network. The timing for service launch and the mix of products will be left to the discretion of each participating bank, based on their local market. Not every subsidiary is required to adopt the same products or the same product launch timing for the RBI Bitpanda partnership. Therefore, the availability of services may vary from one of RBI's 11 Central and Eastern European markets to another. Each rollout will be influenced by local regulation, customer demand, and operational needs. Bitpanda is compliant with the MiCA legislation in Europe and continues to deliver digital asset infrastructure to financial institutions. The company has also been targeted by regulators during the implementation of MiCA regulations in Europe. In August 2026, the Financial Market Authority of Austria issued a fine of €70,000 for violations related to crypto asset white papers and marketing requirements against Bitpanda. The case was resolved through an expedited procedure and became Austria's first publicly disclosed final penalty under MiCA. Under the RBI Bitpanda partnership, each participating bank will retain control over which digital asset products it chooses to offer. Yahya Raza Sherazi Yahya Raza is a Technology Analyst at Tronweekly, covering cryptocurrency markets, blockchain-related developments, and digital asset regulations. He has over one year of experience reporting on Bitcoin, altcoins, and broader crypto market trends. His reporting focuses on market movements, crypto scams and hacks, security-related incidents, and regulatory developments, examining how technological risks and policy actions impact the crypto ecosystem. Yahya tracks ongoing market activity and industry updates using verified data and official sources. Yahya's work is written for both beginners and experienced readers, with an emphasis on clear, accurate reporting on crypto markets, technology-related risks, and regulatory changes, without speculation or investment guidance.

Bitpanda and RBI build crypto framework for 18M bank customers. Lakshya Baskar Published on Sep 23, 2026 at 4:41 PM * Raiffeisen Bank International and Bitpanda Enterprise are working on establishing a platform for digital asset services at RBI's CEE banks. * This project is based on the existing Austrian crypto banking model and could potentially serve 18 million customers. The collaboration of RBI and Bitpanda is going to expand Austria's bank-based crypto solution into Central and Eastern Europe. The collaboration is going to provide a uniform approach to the RBI network of banks. It may eventually cover the needs of more than 18 million customers for digital asset solutions. Each individual bank is going to determine the scope of its own product offering and the timetable for the introduction of such products in compliance with local regulations. This collaboration is being implemented after the experience of a previous implementation in Austria, which included the participation of RLB NÖ-Wien. This financial institution became one of the first traditional banks in the EU to launch crypto solutions in its banking environment. Bitpanda was responsible for the underlying infrastructure. Bitpanda provides infrastructure across diverse markets. Bitpanda Enterprise will provide the underlying digital asset infrastructure for participating RBI network banks. The infrastructure supports banks, fintech companies, and financial platforms integrating digital assets into existing customer offerings. Each RBI network bank will control its own product structure and implementation. Local regulatory requirements will also influence how each market introduces digital asset services. This structure gives the banking group a shared technological foundation without forcing identical products across different countries. It also allows individual institutions to adapt their services to local operating environments. The partnership therefore focuses on infrastructure rather than a single region-wide crypto product. That distinction allows RBI's network banks to determine when and how they enter digital asset services. Digital assets get closer to traditional banking network. Europeans used to buy digital assets via crypto exchanges. The new service opens yet another way through traditional financial institutions. RBI's system already has customer relationships in Central and Eastern Europe. Bitpanda Enterprise helps add necessary technology to incorporate digital assets into such relationships. Eventually, the customer may be able to buy digital assets using the financial institutions that he uses anyway. This approach allows avoiding using separate platforms, accounts, and applications. The cooperation keeps both the network of banks and the infrastructure for digital assets in Europe. RBI brings the banking network of the region, whereas Bitpanda offers the technology. This project is another step from individual incorporation of crypto to banking infrastructure. Its implementation depends on the choices of the participating banks and market demands in the respective markets. For RBI, Austria becomes a basis for incorporating access to digital assets in its CEE network. Highlighted Crypto News: