Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), an Austrian banking group operating across Central and Eastern Europe, is extending its cryptocurrency services through a group-wide partnership with brokerage Bitpanda, Cointelegraph reported on Wednesday. Bitpanda Enterprise will supply digital asset infrastructure that network banks can use to launch crypto offerings, potentially reaching about 18 million customers.
The companies said in a joint announcement that each bank will decide its own product lineup and rollout timing based on local market and regulatory requirements. RBI chief executive Michael Höllerer said the bank is seeing growing demand for crypto assets in its markets and is addressing it with what he described as a strong, reputable partner, adding that the bank is committed to meeting customer needs in the best possible way.
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Key facts
- Bitpanda Enterprise will provide crypto infrastructure to banks in Raiffeisen’s network, with potential reach of about 18 million customers, per the joint announcement.
- Rollout decisions rest with individual network banks and depend on local market and regulatory requirements.
- The agreement builds on a 2024 integration with Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, which Cointelegraph and Bitcoinmagazine both described as the first traditional EU bank to offer crypto trading inside its existing banking environment using Bitpanda technology.
- Bitpanda is authorized under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
- Bitcoinmagazine reported that RBI has subsidiary banks in 11 countries, about 42,000 employees and roughly 1,300 branches, and that the regional Raiffeisen banks own about 61.2% of the company, with the rest in free float.
A single framework replaces market-by-market deals
The stated change is structural. Bitcoinmagazine reported that the new agreement moves away from striking separate integrations market by market and instead sets up a single approach for the entire group. Bitcoinmagazine also reported that Raiffeisen’s roughly 18.8 million customers are served through 11 countries in the region.
The two outlets framed the headline figure differently. Cointelegraph said the partnership could reach “about 18 million customers,” while Bitcoinmagazine used 18.8 million for the group’s customer base. Both figures appear in the two reports and neither outlet revised the other’s number.
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Bitpanda Enterprise’s services include investment infrastructure, liquidity, custody, payments, stablecoins and tokenisation, with an emphasis on compliance and scalability, according to Bitcoinmagazine. Bitcoinmagazine also noted that major banks including BBVA, Santander’s Openbank, Germany’s cooperative and savings banks, SoFi, PNC, Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley have either launched or announced retail crypto trading over the past 18 months.
Why it matters
A group-wide framework lets Raiffeisen standardise broker services instead of negotiating country by country, which is typically the slowest part of a bank crypto rollout. For customers in Central and Eastern Europe, crypto access could arrive through an existing bank relationship rather than a standalone exchange account, and MiCA authorization is the compliance layer that makes the arrangement possible under EU rules. The deal extends a relationship that began in Austria in 2024, when RLB NÖ-Wien adopted Bitpanda’s technology, and reflects the same pattern other large banks have followed by adding retail crypto trading and custody alongside traditional products.
What to watch
Rollout timing will be confirmed market by market. A Bitpanda spokesperson told CoinPulseHQ that the rollout remains at an early stage and will proceed gradually based on local market and regulatory requirements, with more details expected as individual markets are confirmed.
Bitpanda’s authorization sits under the EU’s MiCA framework, and Cointelegraph separately noted that banks have been increasing their share of crypto providers on the EU’s MiCA list, a figure it placed at 23%. Bitpanda also said it is regularly in discussions with banks and financial institutions exploring crypto brokerage services but declined to comment on active or confidential talks. RBI’s shares trade on the Vienna Stock Exchange, per Bitcoinmagazine.
This article is not financial advice. Crypto markets are volatile and uncertain, and nothing here should be treated as a recommendation to buy or sell any asset.
Reported by cointelegraph.com.
Sources: Cointelegraph, Bitcoinmagazine
