Raiffeisen Partners with Bitpanda for Crypto Trading Across 11 European Markets

Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), an Austrian banking group operating across Central and Eastern Europe, is expanding its cryptocurrency footprint through a group-wide partnership with Vienna-based Bitpanda. Under the deal announced Wednesday, Bitpanda Enterprise will supply the digital asset infrastructure enabling RBI's network banks to roll out crypto services across 11 European markets, potentially reaching approximately 18 million customers.

The rollout, backed by Bitpanda's authorization under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), will begin in the first half of 2027 in Albania, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, according to an RBI spokesperson. Each network bank will determine its own product offerings and launch timeline based on local market conditions and regulatory requirements. "As a customer-centric bank, we are committed to meeting our customers' needs in the best possible way," said RBI CEO Michael Höllerer, noting growing demand for digital assets across the group's footprint.

The agreement builds on a partnership launched in 2024 with Austria's Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, where crypto trading services are already live. Bitpanda, which declined to comment on other ongoing discussions with financial institutions, said it is regularly approached by banks exploring crypto brokerage services. The deal highlights a broader trend of European banks embracing regulated digital asset offerings under MiCA, with the number of EU-licensed crypto providers now including a significant share of banking institutions.