From September 9 to 11, 2025, Vienna was all about blockchain, DeFi, and tokenization: Vienna Blockchain Week 2025, organized by DLT Austria, brought together more than 400 participants from over 35 countries, around 70 speakers, and numerous companies and investors at the Web3 Hub Vienna (District Working).
In addition to the thematic focus on security & forensics, compliance & regulations, Bitcoin & mining, stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenized assets, two major announcements dominated the conference: Bybit presented its new debit card for the EU market, and Venionaire Capital introduced the first regulated layer-one crypto index.
Regulation, forensics, and tax issues
The conference kicked off with a focus on current legal and regulatory developments. Experts from Deloitte Legal, EY, PwC, KuCoin EU, Bitpanda, and the Federal Criminal Police Office discussed the significance of DAC8, CARF, and anti-money laundering measures. It became clear that Europe is increasingly relying on uniform standards to regulate the growing market for digital assets.
Bybit launches debit card for Europe
A highlight of the second day of the conference was the announcement by Bybit EU: the crypto exchange is officially launching the Bybit Card in the European Union.
The Mastercard debit card allows users to use their crypto holdings – such as USDC or Bitcoin – directly for payments at over 90 million merchants worldwide. In addition to a virtual instant card and a physical version, the card offers cashback programs of up to 20% at launch, as well as VIP benefits such as 100% reimbursement of selected subscriptions (e.g., Spotify or Netflix).
The card will operate under the MiCAR regulatory framework, signaling Bybit’s commitment to compliance and security in the European market.
Venionaire Capital launches regulated crypto index
The second major announcement followed on the third day: Venionaire Capital presented the Venionaire Layer One Select Index (VLONE).
The index tracks leading layer one blockchains such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana and is regulated under the EU Benchmark Regulation (BMR). It will be officially listed on Bloomberg and other platforms and is intended to serve as a benchmark for banks, funds, and institutional investors in the future.
Its special features include:
- Minimum market capitalization of $1 billion and trading volume of $100 million
- Combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria in the selection process
- Weighting limit of 15% per asset for diversification
- Monthly rebalancing
The VLONE Index thus creates a new basis for ETFs and decentralized token funds (DTFs) and underscores the increasing professionalization of the crypto market.
Focus on tokenization, DeFi, and AI
In addition to the two product announcements, the panels at Vienna Blockchain Week highlighted the tokenization of real-world assets, the use of stablecoins in payment transactions, and the future of DeFi infrastructures. The interface between artificial intelligence and DeFi was also discussed, a topic that is likely to become increasingly important in the future.
Vienna as a European blockchain hub
With its international focus, high-profile speakers, and two market-relevant product launches, Vienna Blockchain Week 2025 cemented Vienna’s role as an important location for blockchain innovation in Europe.
Bybit brought crypto payments closer to consumers’ everyday lives with its debit card, while Venionaire Capital built a bridge to institutional markets with its index. The conference thus sent a strong signal for the connection between innovation and regulation in the heart of Europe.
