Bitpanda’s Global Playbook: Regulation, Infrastructure, and the Future of Digital Assets

As the global digital-asset industry matures, the conversation is shifting away from speculation and toward structure, compliance, and long-term infrastructure. Few companies embody this transition as clearly as Bitpanda. Originally founded in Europe, the platform has steadily evolved into a regulated, multi-asset investment ecosystem with a growing global footprint.

In a recent conversation with Vishal Sacheendran, Vice President of Global Markets Strategy & Operations at Bitpanda, one theme consistently stood out: regulation is not slowing the company down—it is powering its expansion.

Regulation as a Growth Engine, Not a Constraint

For Bitpanda, regulation has never been a box-ticking exercise. As Sacheendran explained, “regulation is the foundation of our global expansion, not a barrier.” He noted that securing MiCAR in Europe, FCA registration in the UK, and VARA approval in Dubai was part of a deliberate strategy to create “a consistent operational model across regions.”

This regulatory-first mindset has translated directly into institutional trust. According to Sacheendran, “being early and proactive in compliance has created a strong trust advantage with institutions.”

Rather than retrofitting systems to meet evolving requirements, Bitpanda built its infrastructure to exceed regulatory standards from the outset—allowing the company to move faster as new markets open.

As he put it, “we can scale into new markets quickly because our infrastructure already meets the highest regulatory standards.”

Why the Middle East Matters

As Bitpanda looks beyond Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has emerged as a key strategic focus. Sacheendran pointed to the region’s strong demographic and market fundamentals, noting that “MENA has one of the youngest and fastest growing investor populations in the world with strong demand for digital assets.”

Regulatory progress has been another decisive factor. According to Sacheendran, “the region is developing clear and progressive regulatory frameworks, especially the UAE,” creating an environment that supports compliant and sustainable market entry.

As a result, Bitpanda’s regional strategy is built around collaboration rather than disruption. “Our strategy here focuses on partnerships with banks, institutions and regulators to ensure compliant market entry,” he said.

Sacheendran also highlighted a key difference between markets. While Europe has largely been driven by retail adoption, he observed that “in Europe retail drives adoption, in MENA institutions lead the way, and our model fits both environments well.”

A Unified Investment Experience — With Crypto at the Core

Today, Bitpanda offers far more than crypto trading, giving users access to stocks, ETFs, commodities, and precious metals through a single platform. However, Sacheendran was clear that expansion does not come at the expense of the company’s core identity.

Diversification, he emphasized, is carefully guided by “user demand and long term relevance, focusing on assets that complement crypto rather than replace it.”

The broader objective, according to Sacheendran, is to build “a unified investment experience that brings crypto and traditional assets together,” rather than treating them as separate worlds. This approach also shapes how new products are designed and delivered. As he explained, “we prioritise asset classes that can be offered fractionally, around the clock and with full transparency.”

Despite the expanding product range, crypto remains firmly at the heart of the platform. “Crypto remains central to our identity, and diversification strengthens our position as a modern investment platform,” Sacheendran added.

Building the Infrastructure Layer for Institutions

Beyond its consumer-facing platform, Bitpanda has been steadily expanding its institutional footprint through Bitpanda Technology Solutions (BTS). According to Sacheendran, “BTS is already powering digital asset services for banks, fintechs and neobanks across Europe and MENA,” positioning the unit as a critical enabler for regulated market entry.

Looking ahead, BTS is set to evolve further. As Sacheendran explained, “the next step is deeper integration with custody, trading, tokenisation and settlement as modular infrastructure,” allowing financial institutions to adopt digital assets without rebuilding their systems from scratch.

This evolution aligns closely with regulatory momentum in Europe. “As banks adopt regulated crypto under MiCAR, BTS is well positioned to become their default plug-and-play solution,” he said.

To illustrate the scale of this ambition, Sacheendran drew a parallel with the early days of cloud computing, noting that BTS could “serve as essential infrastructure similar to how cloud providers support the wider internet.”

Stablecoins and Regulated DeFi Take Center Stage

One of the most forward-looking areas of Bitpanda’s roadmap lies at the intersection of stablecoins and decentralized finance. Through its partnership with SG-FORGE, the company has demonstrated how “regulated euro stablecoins can open entirely new institutional use cases.”

Sacheendran explained that “stablecoins are becoming financial rails used for fast settlement, cross-border payments and on-chain finance,” while “DeFi is moving toward regulated and institutional models including tokenised money markets and on-chain collateral.”

In this context, Bitpanda aims to “enable safe and compliant access to these innovations for both retail users and institutions, bridging traditional finance with on-chain ecosystems”. Sacheendran stated.

What Comes Next for Bitpanda?

Looking ahead to the next 18 to 24 months, Vishal Sacheendran outlined a roadmap centered on regulated global expansion and product depth. He emphasized “expansion into regions with clear regulatory frameworks, including APAC, LATAM ,and the Middle East,” positioning compliance as the key enabler of Bitpanda’s next growth phase.

On the product side, Sacheendran pointed to “new product lines covering advanced wealth tools, more tokenised assets and a deeper integration of stocks and ETFs.”

In parallel, Bitpanda plans to scale Bitpanda Technology Solutions into “a global infrastructure layer for financial institutions,” supported by “strategic partnerships across finance and technology that help accelerate mainstream adoption of digital assets.”

As the digital-asset industry moves into its next phase, Bitpanda’s strategy suggests that the winners will not be those who move the fastest—but those who build with structure, credibility, and long-term vision.