Dubai, UAE – 24 August 2026: Rakbank today announced that Rakbank Islamic customers can buy, sell and hold Bitcoin through Bitpanda’s regulated virtual asset trading platform directly from the Rakbank mobile app.
The new service combines the convenience of banking with the opportunities of virtual assets, allowing customers to access Bitcoin through Rakbank Islamic while transacting directly from their current or savings account in UAE dirhams.
As interest in virtual assets continues to grow, customers are increasingly looking for ways to participate through trusted and transparent channels that align with their personal values. Rakbank’s new offering provides customers with a simple and convenient way to access Bitcoin through a trusted banking experience that aligns with their values and financial preferences.
By removing the need to transfer funds to and from external exchanges, customers can fund transactions directly from their Rakbank Islamic account, creating a more seamless experience while avoiding foreign exchange conversion costs. Through the Rakbank app, customers can seamlessly access Bitcoin through the Islamic Banking platform, supported by secure infrastructure and the confidence of banking with Rakbank.
The service is delivered through Bitpanda Broker MENA DMCC, Bitpanda’s Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)-regulated entity, while Rakbank facilitates seamless access through its mobile banking app in accordance with Shari’ah principles.
Vikas Suri, Managing Director, Wholesale Banking Group – Products at Rakbank, said:
“At Rakbank, our focus is on making innovation accessible in a way that reflects our customers’ needs, values and aspirations.
“With this launch, Rakbank Islamic banking customers can access Bitcoin directly through the Rakbank mobile app, funded in UAE dirhams and supported by trusted, regulated infrastructure, while maintaining the Islamic values and principles that guide their financial decisions.
“By combining the convenience of everyday banking with responsible access to virtual assets, we are giving customers greater confidence, clarity and control as they explore this emerging asset class.”
The launch reflects growing customer interest in virtual assets and Rakbank’s commitment to delivering innovative financial solutions while maintaining the highest standards of customer protection, transparency and regulatory alignment.
The milestone also positions Rakbank as the first conventional bank with an Islamic banking window to enable access to virtual asset trading through a regulated partner platform, further expanding access to virtual assets through a secure and trusted banking experience.
Bitpanda is one of the world’s leading digital asset infrastructure providers and is regulated by multiple European financial authorities. Its institutional technology business, Bitpanda Enterprise, is trusted by leading global financial institutions.
The launch builds on Rakbank’s strategic partnership with Bitpanda and reinforces the bank’s commitment to responsible innovation through trusted, regulated partnerships. By combining virtual asset innovation with the values and principles that underpin Rakbank Islamic, Rakbank continues to expand customer access to emerging financial technologies through a secure, transparent and customer-centric experience.
About Rakbank
We’re Rakbank.
Banking should feel simple. Human. Helpful. So that’s the kind we build.
Since 1976, we’ve been helping people and businesses across the UAE grow with confidence, giving them the tools, the support, and the trust to make things happen. We started as a community bank and grew into one of the country’s most dynamic financial institutions. What’s never changed is our belief that banking should work for people, not the other way around.
Today, we’re leading a new chapter, one that combines smart digital innovation with genuine human connection. We call it digital with a human touch.
We serve customers across every segment through our Personal Banking Group (PBG), Business Banking Group (BBG), and Wholesale Banking Group (WBG). As the UAE’s go-to SME bank, we’re helping thousands of businesses grow and thrive with seamless, digital-first banking.
Our group also includes Skiply, the region’s leading school payments app; Protego, our next-generation insurance aggregator; and RAK Insurance, one of the UAE’s most trusted insurers, together creating an ecosystem that makes life simpler and safer for our customers.
From empowering entrepreneurs and SMEs to launching the UAE’s first crypto brokerage for retail customers and our own AI-powered digital assistant, we’re shaping the future of banking while keeping the heart of it the same: people.
Rakbank — Digital with a human touch.
For more information, please visit www.Rakbank.ae.
Alternatively, you can connect with us on our social media platforms:
- X.com/Rakbanklive
- Instagram.com/Rakbank
- tiktok.com/@Rakbank
- linkedin.com/company/Rakbank
About Bitpanda Enterprise
Bitpanda Enterprise is the institutional infrastructure arm of Bitpanda, providing a unified technology that enables banks, fintechs, brokers, trading firms, family offices and corporate clients to access digital asset capabilities at scale. It brings together investment infrastructure, liquidity, custody, payments, stablecoins and tokenization into one integrated ecosystem. Designed for long-term institutional growth, Bitpanda Enterprise prioritizes compliance, transparency and scalability, helping institutions bridge traditional finance with the digital economy.
Through its institutional partnerships, Bitpanda Enterprise currently provides digital asset access to end users across the EU, the UK, the UAE and LATAM.
Its partners include N26, Société Générale, Deutsche Börse Group, selected Raiffeisen Banks, Rakbank and Onda Finance, among others.
PR & Media Contact:
Suzana Saoud
Associate Account Director
Gambit Communications
+97156 7155 470
Suzana@gambit.ae
