Search results: India

Over 50% of Indian crypto investors intend to increase their investments over the next six months as they view the asset class as a long-term investment rather than hype, according to a report by cryptocurrency exchange Kucoin.  See related article: Most Indian traders impacted by India’s crypto tax: survey Fast facts While 56% of crypto […]

Stakeholders in India’s blockchain space have created a new forum with more than 40 influencers to liaise with governments and regulators for blockchain and Web 3.0 adoption in the country. See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts According to a local media report, India Blockchain Forum is setting […]

Indian crypto exchange Bitbns said on Thursday that withdrawals in Indian rupees (INR) have been delayed as law enforcement officers have blocked its bank account.  See related article: India authorities freeze Vauld exchange’s assets worth $46.5 mln Fast facts “If a cybercrime case is raised for say even an amount of 10,000 Indian rupees (US$125), […]

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED), the country’s economic crime unit, on Thursday froze 3.70 billion rupees (US$46.5 million) in assets at the struggling cryptocurrency exchange Vauld, local media reported citing unnamed sources. See related article: India crypto traders try to dodge fallout from WazirX woes, spat with Binance Fast facts The move comes days after the […]

India’s Enforcement Directorate is investigating at least 10 cryptocurrency exchanges for alleged money laundering, according to The Economic Times

Top blockchain and crypto news: Binance spurns WazirX amid India probe. BlackRock bets on Coinbase. Crypto influencers in China’s crosshairs.

What’s a crypto trader to do when the government freezes exchange assets, sparking a war of words between supposedly ‘merged’ exchanges?

Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch has introduced a Web3 Discovery Fund with initial capital of US$10 million to back early stage startups. See related article:  CoinSwitch Kuber launches rupee index for Indian crypto market Fast facts The Web3 Discovery Fund will curate portfolio startups and provide single-window access to marquee investor partners, such as Tiger Global, […]

Zanmai Labs Private Limited, the firm operating Indian cryptocurrency exchange WazirX, said Tuesday it has a no-tolerance policy towards any “illegal activities”. Users agree to use the exchange in accordance with applicable laws, the company said in a statement. See related article: Tax authorities recover US$9M from India’s biggest crypto exchanges Fast facts WazirX, one […]

Indian cryptocurrency exchange WazirX will delist and cease trading on all trading pairs for EasyFi (EZ) on Aug. 11. It will continue to support withdrawals of these tokens from WazirX until Nov. 12.  See related article: Binance to stop off-chain transfers with India’s WazirX Fast facts WazirX periodically reviews each digital asset it lists and […]

Leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance will remove the off-chain fund transfer channel between India’s WazirX and itself beginning Aug. 11, following recent regulatory action taken against Zanmai Labs Private Limited, the entity operating WazirX. See related article:  Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX Fast facts Users will […]

Indian crypto exchange WazirX said its operations are being conducted as usual, even after Binance denied owning equity in Zanmai Labs, the entity operating WazirX. The spat over ownership — Binance had reportedly acquired WazirX in 2019 — surfaced after Indian authorities reportedly froze US$8 million in WazirX assets, alleging possible violation of foreign exchange laws. […]

Coinbase and Blackrock partner up to provide institutional crypto access. Meanwhile, Instagram expands NFT platform.

India’s government doesn’t like cryptocurrencies and has made that clear in statements and with heavy taxes on the asset class, but what does that say about blockchain adoption?

India’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED), responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime, is investigating two cases against crypto exchange WazirX under the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999 (FEMA), reported local media. See related article: Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX Fast facts Zanmai […]

An Indian firm providing crypto tax calculation services is introducing a software as a service (SAAS)-based solution to tackle India’s myriad crypto taxation regime. See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts SAAS-based TaxCryp software aims to simplify tax computation, compliance and reporting requirements, India-based TaxCryp Technologies said on […]

Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has “no exposure to LUNA & wLUNA,” and its recent fundraising “has nothing to do with the market downtrend,” the firm’s CEO said on his verified Twitter handle.  See related article: How cold storage can ward against this crypto winter’s freeze Fast facts KuCoin CEO Johnny Lyu was responding to rumors about […]

The Indian government won’t reduce taxes on cryptocurrency transactions, a minister said, despite repeated pleas by the industry. See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts In a written reply to a query in India’s upper house of Parliament, Minister of State for finance Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that the […]

Trading volumes at Indian crypto exchanges are recovering on the back of a rally in digital asset prices. Volumes had dropped after the government had imposed steep taxes.  See related article: Bitcoin bounces back after US reports worst inflation in 41 years Fast facts Trading volumes at crypto exchange WazirX rose about 35% to US$7.18 […]

The Indian cryptocurrency industry is looking to create an independent association to liaison with the government on policies and highlight issues with relevant stakeholders. See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts Key stakeholders have engaged in preliminary talks but the association’s establishment is not expected to be immediate, […]

While the Reserve Bank of India has sought to prohibit cryptocurrencies, a ban is only possible after significant international collaboration and evaluation, India’s finance minister said on Monday. See related article: India’s finance minister calls on G20 to share information on crypto Fast facts “RBI (Reserve Bank of India) is of the view that cryptocurrencies […]

Crypto trading volumes plummet as the crypto winter continues. Meanwhile, India calls on G20 to share information on crypto.

Cryptocurrencies need to be brought under the purview of tax information shared by countries, India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a G20 Ministerial Symposium on Tax and Development in Bali. See related article: India to make life hell for crypto investors: MP Fast facts The G20 should examine the feasibility of exchanging information on […]

The Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC), the advocacy body representing Indian crypto industry interests, has been dissolved by its parent organization, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), according to a statement seen by CoinDesk.  See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Fast facts IAMAI made the decision without discussing […]

Lightspeed India Partners (LSIP) announced on Tuesday the closing of a US$500 million early stage fund (LSIP Fund IV) for India and Southeast Asia, as part of venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners’ (LSVP) US$7.1 billion commitment. See related article: Huobi Ventures bets on DeFi and gaming in $10M GameFi fund Fast facts In addition […]

The country’s federal agency charged with investigating money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws has reportedly reached out to Indian crypto exchanges to probe possible violations of foreign exchange rules. See related article: CoinDCX double downs as the going gets tough in India Fast facts The Enforcement Directorate has sought “further details and documents” […]

India’s 30% tax on cryptocurrencies, which met with a public outcry, has deterred the trading frequency of 83% traders, according to a survey conducted by crypto exchanges WazirX and ZebPay. See related article: Only the big fish will survive as India cracks the whip on crypto: Binance-backed WazirX Fast facts The survey included 9,500 respondents […]

Trading volume in Indian cryptocurrency exchanges dropped by as much as 63% since July 1, when a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) was imposed.  See related article: India’s latest tax assault on crypto exchanges starts Friday Fast facts Daily trading volume at cryptocurrency exchange WazirX fell more than 63% on July 1 to US$5.36 […]

Cryptocurrencies are a “clear danger” and have the potential to disrupt financial stability, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das said.  See related article: Crypto crash justifies RBI’s stance: central bank chief Fast facts “Anything that derives value based on make believe, without any underlying, is just speculation under a sophisticated name,” Das said […]

India’s government can’t seem to decide on following China with an outright ban on crypto trading. So is it bent instead on suffocating traders and exchanges with taxes?

“There is a larger compliance requirement due to evolving regulatory needs resulting in increased scrutiny,” a senior executive at the Coinbase Ventures and B Capital backed cryptocurrency exchange said.  See related article: CoinDCX double downs as the going gets tough in India Fast facts “We have restricted crypto withdrawal from our platform,” with users being […]

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a blockchain-based trade financing pilot project in collaboration with top lenders including HDFC bank, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India, among several others, Economic Times reported, citing unidentified sources.  See related article: India FM: RBI to issue blockchain-based digital rupee Fast facts Belgium-based SettleMint, U.S.-based Corda […]

Indian tax authorities will meet for two days starting June 28 to discuss a goods and services tax (GST) on cryptocurrency transactions, according to a Bloomberg report that cited unidentified sources.  See related article: India’s tax bogeyman is scaring off young crypto investors Fast facts A panel comprising federal and state finance ministers will meet […]

High taxes amid a bear market are tempering the enthusiasm for NFTs among Indians. But industry participants expect the country’s unique cultural and demographic characteristics to provide a long-term fillip to the industry.

The job cuts in India were much lower than the global average of about 18%, a senior executive at the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange said.  See related article: Coinbase, biggest US crypto exchange, cuts workforce by 18% Fast facts The largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume in the U.S. Wednesday said about 8% of its India […]

Indian crypto investors got lucky after February’s tax announcements reduced trading activities ahead of the market crash, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of online stockbroker Zerodha said. See related article: Short selling is good for any market, including crypto: Jim Rogers Fast facts “Even when trading stocks, the biggest reason for losses is trying to […]

As the Terra saga continues to unfold, Do Kwon loses an appeal against the SEC. Meanwhile, Circle’s head of policy slams CBDCs.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in stages this fiscal year, T Rabi Shankar, deputy governor of the central bank, said in a press conference on Wednesday.  See related article: RBI wants its CBDC to bring ‘little or no disruption’ Fast facts “Process of [the] […]

India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran compared cryptocurrencies to the “world of Caribbean pirates” in the absence of regulation where “winners take it all” from somebody else, local media reported.  Fast facts See related article: Coinbase blames India’s central bank for exit Cryptocurrencies fail to satisfy basic requirements such as having store value, widespread […]

Litecoin revealed to have broke privacy laws in South Korea. Meanwhile, the Indian government corrects a typo which mistakenly altered a crypto tax.

A typo error on the Income Tax Department’s website mistakenly altered a 1% tax-deducted-at-source (TDS) figure to 0.1%, and has since been rectified, the Income Tax Department said on Wednesday.  Fast facts See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO “Some media reports have come to the notice of […]

A bipartisan crypto bill has been introduced in the US Senate. Meanwhile, Singaporean investment company ADDX plans on recognizing crypto assets.

High taxes and lack of support from traditional finance make it difficult for smaller crypto operators to survive in India, a senior executive at one of the country’s largest crypto exchanges said.

Indian cryptocurrency exchange CoinSwitch Kuber launched CRE8 on Thursday, a rupee index tracking the Indian crypto market. See related article: India gets second crypto unicorn within two months Fast facts CRE8 claims to give traders real-time information on the Indian rupee-based crypto market, based on trades on the CoinSwitch exchange. “Until now, investors in India […]

Global crypto asset management platform Kassio has launched its services in India to help its users extract value from their crypto holdings beyond just trading, the company said in a statement. See related article: CoinDCX offers to let Indians earn yield on crypto holdings Fast facts Kassio offers instant crypto-backed loans and interest earnings up […]

The Indian government is studying how other countries have regulated the asset class before drafting laws for the industry, the secretary for economic affairs Ajay Seth told local media.  See related article: Crypto regulation has to ‘take its time’: India FM Nirmala Sitharaman Fast facts “Our consultation paper is fairly ready. We have gone into […]

The Reserve Bank of India explores digital rupee options. Meanwhile, Terra’s new Luna coin drops significantly since launch.

StepN limits their services in China. Meanwhile, Terra 2.0 poses questions relating to investor trust.

Pop culture event Comic Con India (CCI) will dive into the metaverse with the launch of non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles Non-Fungible League.  See related article: How the metaverse is closing the gap between virtual and reality Fast facts The Non-Fungible League will create and mint heroes for the metaverse, and will contain a series of […]

The operator of the Indian cryptocurrency exchange is working with large institutional borrowers, third-party lending partners and staking platforms to generate yield on cryptocurrency and digital assets, CoinDCX said in a statement. See related article: CoinDCX investment arm to invest US$13 mln in Web3 startups Fast facts The yield program doesn’t come with lock-in periods […]

The digital assets tax compliance and portfolio tracking firm’s launch in India comes after the country announced a series of measures to benefit off the gains made in cryptocurrencies.  See related article: India tax breaks crypto’s back Fast facts Crypto users in India can use CoinTracker to aggregate and reconcile cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) […]

The Indian government may impose a reverse charge goods and services tax (GST) on cryptocurrency investors using foreign exchanges, according to a local media report.  See related article: India GST Council weighs 28% tax on crypto transactions Fast facts The reverse charge would levy a goods and services tax on the investor instead of the […]

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has suggested that no prominent public figures, including celebrities and sports personalities, should endorse crypto products, according to local media reports.   See related article: India’s crypto ads to get ‘highly risky’ banners starting April Fast facts Trading cryptocurrencies is not illegal in India, but the activity is […]

Parts of the Indian economy can lead to “dollarization” due to cryptocurrencies, which would be against the national interest, top officials of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told a parliamentary panel, according to local media. See related article: India’s financial stability at risk from cryptos: IMF Fast facts Local media quoted unnamed officials in […]

The travails of the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., highlight the perilous path foreign companies have to brave in India’s evolving, but often ambivalent regulatory environment, especially when it comes to new technologies, and industries. 

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong admitted in Tuesday’s earnings call that the exchange disabled the unified payments interface (UPI) in India because of the central bank’s “informal pressure.” See related article: Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India Fast facts Armstrong’s comments come a month after Coinbase suspended its India services three […]

Indian tax authorities are exploring the implementation of a 28% goods and services tax (GST) on all cryptocurrency transactions, adding to a 30% tax on profits from crypto asset trading that kicked in on April 1, according to local media reports.  See related article: After crypto, India wants to come after DeFi Fast facts The […]

India’s National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) introduced a distributed ledger technology platform for the Debenture Covenant Monitoring system on Saturday to enhance monitoring of bonds. See related article: Indian market regulator asks depositories to use blockchain Fast facts The Debenture Covenant Monitoring system’s decentralized ledger will provide an immutable and verifiable audit trail of transactions […]

Pantera Capital, a U.S. hedge fund specialized in cryptocurrency investment, has closed about 10 deals in India, including one with crypto unicorn CoinDCX, Paul Veradittakit, a partner at Pantera, told The Economic Times. See related article: Temasek leads $200M funding round in crypto firm Amber Fast facts “We plan on doing a lot more (investments) […]

Indian online travel company MakeMyTrip has launched a non-fungible-token (NFT) collection of Indian tourist destinations, becoming the first Indian travel brand to step into the NFT space.  See related article: Is there a future for the NFT beyond digital art? Fast facts The NFT collection “Virtual Vacations!” aims at bringing to life “a kaleidoscopic meta-world […]

The Indian government is exploring ways to levy additional taxes on interest earned on cryptocurrencies through decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms located outside India, according to an Economic Times report. See related article: India tax breaks crypto’s back Fast facts The government wants to impose a 20% tax deducted at source (TDS) or factory-gate levy for […]

The Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT has issued a new directive that requires cryptocurrency exchanges to collect and preserve a wide range of client data for five years, 60 days after the date of issuance on April 28.  See related article: Indians see future in crypto, government sees revenue, FM says Fast facts “During […]

Regulating crypto will take time to ensure the government takes a considered approach, Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at Stanford University on Wednesday. See related article: Indians see future in crypto, government sees revenue, FM says Fast facts “We recognize that there is a lot of potential and already well-grounded progress made in the […]

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this report stated the NFT proceeds will be donated to NGO Atam Pargas. The NGO has reached out to Forkast to clarify it is not associated with the NFT project. Lekh-Haq, the organizer of the NFT has confirmed this correction to Forkast. Indian journalists and filmmakers launched farmers’ protest […]

India’s leading banks have asked the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to issue a formal directive that explains the curbs on money transfers using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for trading in virtual digital assets. See related article: Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India Fast facts Indian banks had […]

CoinDCX cofounder Sumit Gupta tells Forkast in an exclusive interview the crypto exchange that recently raised US$135 million will look to triple its headcount by the end of the year.

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are coming to Australia. Meanwhile, Dogecoin Day has fans hyped.

Cofounders of the Binance-backed Indian crypto exchange WazirX have reportedly moved to Dubai amid regulatory uncertainty and taxation, local media report. See related article: India’s crypto tax will incur losses for government, says WazirX CEO Fast facts Nischal Shetty and Siddharth Menon have reportedly moved to Dubai along with their families.  “Crypto has no boundaries,” […]

Indian cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX’s latest funding comes as investors double down on the country’s potential to emerge as the world’s top market despite government apathy.  See related story: CoinDCX’s Sumit Gupta on CBDCs, regulation and India’s potential for crypto in 2021 Fast facts Series D funding was led by Pantera and Steadview Capital, the company […]

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are going to be increasingly important with the rise in time spent on metaverses, Jayant Sinha, a member of parliament and Chairman of India’s Standing Committee on Finance, told The Economic Times on Monday.  See related article: India to make life hell for crypto investors: MP Fast facts Sinha’s comments come at […]

Crypto exchanges in India are switching to facilitating user-to-user bank transfers and inward remittances to work around a withdrawal of support from the developer of the country’s ubiquitous UPI payments system, local media report.   See related article: Coinbase snafu sets the cat among the crypto pigeons in India Fast facts Indian cryptocurrency exchanges are trying […]

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – April 13, 2022 – Presented by Megha Chaddah. Coming up on today’s show: Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith gets 63 months in prison. Coinbase snafu sets cat among the crypto pigeons in India. Huawei becomes latest of China’s tech giants to issue NFTs.  We’ll have more on those stories […]