Raiffeisen Extends Bitpanda Deal for Europe-Wide Bitcoin Services

Raiffeisen, the Austrian banking group, is introducing bitcoin trading for its 18 million customers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the firm said it was collaborating with brokerage Bitpanda in connection with the move.

The announcement from Raiffeisen comes amid a wave of major lenders worldwide moving into crypto trading and custody. Over the last 18 months, BBVA, Santander's Openbank, Germany's cooperative and savings banks, SoFi, PNC, Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley have either launched or unveiled retail crypto offerings.

The driving force is customer demand, according to RBI's chief executive Michael Höllerer. "We are seeing growing demand for crypto assets in our markets, which we are addressing with a strong, reputable partner," he said, adding that the bank is committed to "meeting our customers’ needs in the best possible way."

This deal builds on an earlier Austrian arrangement. During 2024, Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien) became the first traditional bank across the European Union to offer crypto trading in its standard banking setting, relying on Bitpanda's technology.

Rather than pursuing integrations individually for each market, the new agreement establishes a unified strategy across the entire group.

Through Bitpanda Enterprise, banks, fintechs, brokers, trading firms and family offices gain the capability to deliver digital asset products to both retail and corporate customers. The offerings span investment infrastructure, liquidity, custody, payments, stablecoins and tokenisation, and are built with a focus on compliance and scalability.

RBI regards Austria and Central and Eastern Europe as its domestic market, operating subsidiary banks across 11 countries there. With approximately 42,000 staff, the group serves 18.8 million clients via around 1,300 branches, the majority located in CEE. The company's shares are listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, while the regional Raiffeisen banks hold roughly 61.2 per cent of the firm, with the remainder in free float.