Austrian FinTech company Bitpanda is launching Ethereum Layer 2 network, designed to comply with European regulatory requirements and aimed at connecting traditional financial institutions with the decentralized economy.
Bitpanda, Europe’s leading crypto broker, announced the launch of Vision Chain, a new blockchain infrastructure designed to bring banks, decentralized finance, or DeFi, solutions, and users into a single ecosystem.
According to the company, banks and financial institutions have been actively exploring the benefits of asset tokenization. However, most initiatives remain siloed and don’t interact with open blockchain networks. At the same time, the DeFi sector has evolved along a separate path. It’s grown rapidly and globally, but without meaningful integration with regulated institutions or real-world assets.
Vision Chain is intended to close this gap between traditional finance and the decentralized economy. The platform will allow financial institutions to issue and manage tokenized assets without building their own infrastructure. Developers will gain access to institutional liquidity and real-world assets, while users will be able to access new financial products through the Bitpanda ecosystem, including its DeFi wallet and partner services.
The infrastructure has been designed in line with European regulatory frameworks, including MiCA and MiFID II. To ensure predictable costs, the network will use euro-denominated stablecoins, as well as its native Vision token, or VSN. It’s also built to handle institutional-scale transaction volumes.
The Vision token will serve as a core component of the ecosystem. As network activity increases, a portion of revenue will be used to buy back and remove tokens from circulation, effectively reducing supply. In addition, developers will be eligible for grants to build products that deliver tangible utility to VSN holders.
From a technology standpoint, Vision Chain is being developed as an Ethereum-based Layer 2 solution using the Optimism OP Stack. This approach provides scalability, security, and compatibility with the broader global blockchain economy.
Bitpanda emphasizes that the shift toward digital assets is structural and will shape the future of the financial system. With Vision Chain, the company aims to secure Europe’s role in this transition and enable institutional participation without trade-offs.
Bitpanda has previously pursued efforts to bridge traditional and decentralized finance. In 2024, the company launched a regulated trading platform for institutional investors, offering a wide range of crypto and multi-asset services, and also explored enabling cryptocurrency transactions via IBAN.
