On September 23, 2026, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and Bitpanda agreed a group-wide framework for digital-asset services across RBI’s Central and Eastern European markets. Bitpanda En
On September 23, 2026, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and Bitpanda agreed a group-wide framework for digital-asset services across RBI’s Central and Eastern European markets.
Bitpanda Enterprise will supply the underlying infrastructure for RBI network banks. Bitpanda said the arrangement could enable those banks to offer digital assets to approximately 18 million customers through a progressive, locally tailored rollout.
The framework expands on Bitpanda’s initial Austrian deployment, but availability will be determined market by market rather than launched across the group simultaneously.
RBI and Bitpanda say Bitpanda Enterprise will provide the infrastructure for a group-wide framework that allows banks across RBI’s CEE network to offer digital-asset services.
The companies described a progressive, locally tailored rollout, with individual local banks determining implementation and offerings. Bitpanda’s announcement estimates the framework could reach approximately 18 million customers, a measure of potential network reach rather than immediate access for all customers.
RBI says it operates subsidiary banks in 11 CEE markets and serves 18.8 million customers through roughly 1,300 branches.
The broader arrangement builds on a model already used by Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, or RLB NÖ-Wien. That bank launched Bitpanda-powered crypto access within its existing banking environment in 2024.
That earlier launch matters because the new framework is an extension of a bank-integrated approach rather than a newly announced model without an existing deployment. Der Standard reported that the model is being extended gradually across RBI’s CEE subsidiaries.
The announcement hinges on a distinction between infrastructure and distribution: Bitpanda Enterprise is intended to provide the behind-the-scenes service, while RBI’s local banks retain the customer-facing role in markets where they elect to proceed.
Christian Trummer, Co-CEO of Bitpanda, and Michael Höllerer, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International; photo by Sabine Klimpt. — Source: Bitpanda Group
The agreement creates a group-level route for expansion, not an immediate network-wide launch. Bitpanda describes a progressive, locally tailored rollout, with each RBI bank deciding whether to offer digital-asset services, when to do so, and which products to make available.
Customers in different RBI markets may consequently receive different access, timetables, and product ranges. The practical next step will be announcements from the relevant local bank.
Bitpanda’s infrastructure is intended to provide access through existing banking relationships, without a separate crypto account or application, according to its description of the framework.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
