Raiffeisen Bank International has expanded its partnership with Bitpanda Enterprise to create a common digital asset framework for its Central and Eastern European banking network, potentially bringing crypto services within reach of up to 18 million customers. According to reports from AMBCrypto, the deal went public on Wednesday, September 23, with Bitpanda Enterprise set to handle the crypto infrastructure while RBI's network banks will plug in and launch their own services. The collaboration represents a significant shift in European banking, moving digital assets from specialist platforms into the financial institutions that millions of people already use. RBI CEO Michael Höllerer confirmed that "We are seeing growing demand for crypto assets in our markets, which we are addressing with a strong, reputable partner."
RBI operates subsidiary banks across 11 Central and Eastern European markets and serves more than 18 million customers. As reported by AMBCrypto, the framework will span the entire RBI network, with each bank getting to decide what products to offer and when to launch them based on local market conditions and regulations. The partnership builds on a successful model pioneered in Austria, where Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien) became one of the first traditional banks in the European Union to offer crypto access through its existing banking environment, powered by Bitpanda. Christian Trummer, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bitpanda, expressed pride that "what we pioneered in Austria is now growing into a partnership that can bring digital assets to millions of people in the CEE region."
The partnership will follow a phased rollout strategy starting with Austria, where customers can already access the service, followed by Albania, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in the first half of 2027. According to an RBI spokesperson cited by AMBCrypto, the rollout will begin in these three countries next year. This expansion represents a significant scaling of the original Austrian model that proved the concept could work, allowing customers to access digital assets through their existing bank while Bitpanda provides the infrastructure underneath. For primarily traditional banking institutions, this represents a major shift toward integrated crypto services.
The Austrian model demonstrates how the partnership works in practice, with Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederoesterreich-Wien offering Bitpanda access through its Mein ELBA app since 2024, and Raiffeisen Salzburg launching its service in August 2026. As reported by Crypto.news, the Austrian app requires a separate Bitpanda registration and limits access to adult Austrian residents, with customers needing both a Raiffeisen account and an active Mein ELBA app. The contractual arrangement shows that customers become Bitpanda customers through the app's Bitpanda access, with purchases and sales taking place exclusively with Bitpanda and assets held inside Bitpanda's structure. Raiffeisen receives a fee from Bitpanda for access services, with the bank explicitly stating it does not provide the crypto or securities service and is not liable for Bitpanda's performance.
The partnership operates under the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation, which gives credit institutions a separate route into the crypto market after submitting required information to their home regulator. According to Crypto.news, Bitpanda has positioned its regulated infrastructure as a way for banks to enter the market without developing their own trading and custody systems, operating under MiCA licenses in Europe. The company's regulatory record includes an €70,000 fine from Austria's Financial Market Authority in August over breaches involving crypto asset white paper and marketing requirements, marking the Austrian regulator's first published final penalty under MiCA. This collaboration underpins Europe's ability to build and scale its own digital asset infrastructure, keeping the infrastructure behind the next generation of digital banking anchored in Europe.
