General counsel | Bitpanda
Fabian Reinisch
General counsel | Bitpanda
What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?
2024 has been a landmark year for legal innovation and strategic transformation at Bitpanda. Our team has led the way in three high-impact areas: regulatory readiness, the legal enablement of emerging technologies, and scaling platform infrastructure globally.
A major focus has been shaping the future of digital assets regulation with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), which is set to redefine the regulatory landscape across Europe. Our teams have taken a proactive and pioneering role in preparing Bitpanda for this new chapter. We have translated early legal interpretations into actionable guidance for departments across the organisation, restructured cross-border operations, and supported forward-thinking licensing strategies. We have ensured that Bitpanda’s legal infrastructure is not just MiCAR-compliant, but future-proof, well ahead of the regulation’s enforcement date.
Another key area has been supporting the next generation of financial technology, particularly with Bitpanda’s Web3 evolution, which is one of the most exciting areas in our product roadmap. Legal has played a central role in its development, from designing token frameworks and reviewing tokenomics to advising on early-stage interoperability initiatives. Navigating the legal complexities of Web3 requires not just expertise and agility, but also creative problem-solving, especially when regulation is still emerging and precedent is scarce.
Finally, Bitpanda Technology Solutions (BTS) has been instrumental in powering financial innovation at scale. Through BTS, we offer our full-stack infrastructure as a white-label platform for external partners. Legal has been key in productising regulatory elements, standardising contractual documentation, and localising offerings across multiple jurisdictions. This shift marks Bitpanda’s transition from a regulated broker to a full fintech infrastructure provider, underpinned by scalable, modular legal frameworks that manage risk while enabling exponential growth.
How does your legal strategy change during periods of instability or uncertainty?
Operating in the inherently volatile world of crypto and fintech requires a legal strategy that is agile, proactive, and closely integrated with the business. During times of uncertainty – whether due to regulatory disruption or macroeconomic shifts – we adopt a ‘dynamic prioritisation’ model, working closely with the C-suite to reassess objectives and reallocate resources on a quarterly basis.
Our legal function is intentionally lean, meaning we prioritise speed, clarity, and high-impact work through cross-functional collaboration and tech-enabled processes. We have institutionalised an automation-first mindset, enabling us to maintain strategic momentum even during market turbulence. By building scalable legal infrastructure – not just short-term solutions – we ensure long-term resilience for both Legal and the business.
Do you make use of any ‘legal tech’ products, and if so, for which areas of your job do you find it most useful?
Legal tech is an essential part of our toolkit – it is not just about efficiency, but also about quality and scale. We have embedded AI-powered tools such as Harvey, Enterprise ChatGPT, and Gemini into our day-to-day workflows for tasks like first-draft generation, legal research, and strategic scenario planning.
Our legal operations ecosystem integrates tools like Jira, Confluence, DocuSign, and a custom-built clause library. Additionally, our intake-to-pay process runs on Zip, streamlining procurement, privacy, and billing workflows in a single flow. This tech stack empowers our teams to deliver faster turnaround times, greater consistency, and higher-value strategic input. Automation is not an afterthought – it is a deliberate, continuous improvement lever across all legal touchpoints.
What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?
Today’s in-house counsel must be more than legal advisors; they must be strategic enablers deeply embedded in the business. At Bitpanda, we look for individuals who demonstrate a strong solution orientation, fostering a culture where Legal acts as a strategic partner – clear, pragmatic, and enabling. Regulatory foresight is particularly important, especially in the fintech sector, where the ability to anticipate change is a key differentiator.
Flexibility is also vital, as rapidly evolving business models require lawyers who can adapt and respond in real time. Tech savviness plays a crucial role, as leveraging legal tech and AI tools helps accelerate delivery and enhance precision. Commercial insight is equally important, as a deep understanding of products, customers, and market dynamics is essential for providing actionable legal advice.
Finally, cross-functional collaboration is key. Legal must work hand-in-hand with teams such as Product, Marketing, Engineering, and Operations, ensuring that legal advice is embedded in the execution of the business’s objectives. At Bitpanda, we expect our legal team to lead from the front – proactive, business-aware, and focused on scalable solutions, not just risk mitigation.
What do you think is the greatest innovation you have enacted in the past year?
The past year has seen Bitpanda evolve into Europe’s most comprehensive regulated investment platform – and Legal has played a crucial role in building the framework to support this transformation. A standout achievement has been the legal enablement of Bitpanda’s multi-asset offering – spanning crypto, precious metals, stocks, and ETFs – across various jurisdictions and all accessible through a single, regulated platform. This required sophisticated legal structuring across asset classes, strategic licensing across multiple jurisdictions, and the development of modular, scalable contractual frameworks for both B2C and B2B channels.
Finally, Bitpanda Technology Solutions (BTS) represents a paradigm shift: the externalisation of our tech and regulatory stack as a service. Legal’s contribution – ensuring regulatory portability, modular contracts, and jurisdictional scalability – has been one of our most ambitious and impactful innovations to date.
General counsel | Bitpanda
Head of legal | Bitpanda
