Austrian banking giant Raiffeisen is introducing bitcoin trading options for its customer base of 18 million people.
The institution shared in a statement on Wednesday that it is collaborating with investment platform Bitpanda for this project.
Raiffeisen’s declaration arrives amid a wave of major global banks introducing cryptocurrency trading and storage offerings. Over the past year and a half, institutions such as BBVA, Santander’s Openbank, German cooperative and savings banks, SoFi, PNC, Charles Schwab, and Morgan Stanley have all introduced or announced retail crypto trading capabilities.
Michael Höllerer, CEO of RBI, highlighted client interest as the primary catalyst. “We are witnessing a rise in interest for digital currencies across our regions, which we are tackling alongside a reliable and trusted partner,” he stated, noting that the financial institution remains dedicated to “satisfying our clients’ requirements in the most effective manner possible.”
This partnership expands upon a prior arrangement that originated in Austria. Back in 2024, Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederösterreich-Wien (RLB NÖ-Wien) pioneered cryptocurrency trading inside a traditional European Union banking interface by leveraging Bitpanda’s infrastructure.
The updated pact transitions away from establishing individual country-by-country connections and instead establishes a unified framework for the entire banking group.
Bitpanda Enterprise equips banks, financial technology companies, brokerages, trading houses, and family offices with the utilities required to deliver digital asset solutions to individual and institutional buyers. Its portfolio covers investment architecture, market liquidity, safekeeping, transactions, stablecoins, and tokenization, placing a strong focus on regulatory adherence and growth capacity.
RBI views Austria along with Central and Eastern Europe as its core territory, operating subsidiary banks across 11 nations within that zone. The organization features roughly 42,000 staff members catering to 18.8 million users via approximately 1,300 physical offices, predominantly situated throughout CEE. Its stock is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, where regional Raiffeisen banks hold a 61.2 percent stake, while the remaining shares trade publicly.
Originally published at https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/raiffeisen-to-roll-out-bitcoin-trading.
