India

While India’s parliament considers a potential nationwide ban on all private virtual currencies, a former governor of India’s central bank says some cryptocurrencies have a “potential future” in the global economy. Raghuram Rajan, ex-governor of India’s central bank and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, made his comments at a Reuters Global Markets […]

If cabinet approves crypto bill by November, it could be introduced as early as parliament’s winter session.

Hermez Network, a prominent zero-knowledge cryptography-based scaling project, will merge with India-based Polygon, an Ethereum scaling project, Polygon announced on Friday. Fast facts Polygon has initiated the process of merging Hermez, including its technology, team, live solutions and HEZ tokens into its ecosystem. Hermez will operate under the name Polygon Hermez as a part of […]

GoSats, an Indian Bitcoin rewards app, has launched a new cash back card that will allow Indians to earn up to 100% of their spending in Bitcoin and provide a chance to win one full Bitcoin on every spend, GoSats announced in a tweet. Fast facts The GoSats prepaid RuPay debit cards will be released […]

While Delhi goes back and forth over a crypto ban, crypto’s huge growth potential in the world’s second most populous country is captivating American venture capital.

Rario, an officially licensed cricket non-fungible token startup built on the Polygon blockchain, has announced its integration with Polygon’s NFT platform, Polygon Studios. Fast facts Polygon Studios, an NFT-focused gaming and metaverse hub, was launched last month by Indian Ethereum scaling platform Polygon to facilitate Web 3.0 gaming and fuel mainstream adoption of NFTs. It […]

Tier II and Tier III cities in India registered massive growth in new user signups on WazirX, more than the larger cities.

CoinDCX, an Indian cryptocurrency exchange, has become the country’s first crypto unicorn with a US$90 million Series C fundraise, the company announced today. The funding was led by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s B Capital. The fresh funding pegs CoinDCX’s valuation at US$ 1.1 billion. Fast facts Founded in 2018, CoinDCX offers a range of crypto […]

Several cryptocurrency payment methods exist around the world, but new service is the first major one of its kind in India.

Ethereum upgrade closely watched also India launches e-RUPI voucher

Speaking to Parliament, India’s finance minister reveals that the government does not know how many crypto exchanges India has nor the number of crypto users.

Number of new South Korean crypto investors have tanked in the month of June as crypto mining investments boom outside China.

Binance CEO CZ confirms that a new executive may lead the organization. Meanwhile, Bitmain spins off one of the world’s largest mining pool Antpool.

Crypto investment in India has grown from about US$200 million to nearly US$40 billion in the past year, driven in large measure by demand among young investors.

Indian cryptocurrency investors could face a 2% levy on transactions made through foreign-owned crypto exchanges operating in the country.

Crypto literacy of Indian regulators is evolving and crypto players are trying to keep industry clean via self-regulations, says Nischal Shetty of WazirX.

The Indian government and leading industry stakeholders are reviewing elements of legislation that proposed a ban on cryptocurrencies.

India’s central bank has clarified that cryptocurrencies are not illegal, but that does little to prevent lenders from refusing to provide crypto-related services.

India’s Enforcement Directorate has issued a show cause notice to cryptocurrency exchange WazirX for alleged foreign exchange violations involving 27.9 billion rupees (US$382 million).

Despite regulatory uncertainty over cryptocurrency trading in India, some of the world’s largest crypto exchanges are looking to enter the market.

UNICEF Venture Fund is awarding up to $100,000 to blockchain startups, including India’s GovBlocks, in its latest funding round. Here are the other projects.

Regulatory uncertainty pushes India’s crypto industry towards self regulation as a secret Ethereum miner gets busted in Seoul Arts Center.

Crypto exchanges in India have partnered with the Internet and Mobile Association of India to form a self-regulatory body.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Thailand’s SEC tries to rein in DeFi via regulation. Will China’s future DCEP digital yuan offer smart contracts?

WazirX launched the country’s first NFT marketplace on Tuesday, featuring artists from India and other South Asian nations.

Thailand becomes one of the first governments to attempt DeFi regulation as India’s RBI clarifies that banking ban no longer exists.

India’s central bank has said that banks and other finance sector businesses should not adhere to a prohibition it imposed on lenders dealing in cryptocurrencies.

Banks in India, including some of the country’s largest lenders, are notifying their customers not to engage in cryptocurrencies, adhering to a central bank rule from 2018 that bans them from dealing in cryptos — despite the fact the ban was overturned by the Supreme Court more than a year ago.

It’s only a matter of time that digital currency ‘is going to overshadow all the other forms of money,’ says Neeraj Khandelwal of CoinDCX.

As retail interest in crypto grows, countries around the world are grappling with consumer protection. Asia offers a window into the array of policy responses.

The Chia craze keeps on going while the Indian crypto industry speaks out against banks blocking crypto transactions.

As Ethereum continues to soar to new all-time highs, South Korean crypto investors express mix sentiments on crypto tax.

The charity arm of Binance is sending 175 oxygen connectors to India to aid in the coronavirus relief effort.

Starting today, India’s crypto firms must report all cryptocurrency transactions to the government. What does this mean for India’s proposed crypto ban?

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Ethereum takes up with Amazon, plans gas fee changes. China likely to increase blockchain spending.

As debate rages over whether India should ban private cryptos in favor of a central bank digital currency, a case could be made that India needs both.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: DeFi under Fed study. Andrew Yang, Wyoming vie for crypto attention. Hong Kong and India edge toward crypto bans.

India is moving toward banning all cryptocurrency and creating a state-backed digital rupee. But Tesla’s big bitcoin buy-in may be giving lawmakers pause.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: India pushes CBDC and proposes banning crypto. Korea’s DeFi future. How does Bitmain’s drama end?

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the co-founder and CEO of CoinDCX offers his views on the growth of crypto in India, regulation and CBDCs.

Now that India no longer has a crypto banking ban, what are Indian attitudes toward cryptocurrency? CoinDCX surveys 11,000 people for answers.

India’s cryptocurrency ban rumor mill will surely rev up again when lawmakers meet for winter session. The CEO of Unocoin explains the worries.

India is now a vibrant cryptocurrency hub, but its future remains uncertain. Sathvik Viswanath of Unocoin explains what’s holding back the nation of 1.3 billion.

Other top crypto and blockchain news: USDC stablecoin coming to Solana blockchain. Investing in KYC/AML in India.

Other top news: OKEx cryptocurrency exchange freezes services amid police investigation. Investors bet $100 million on ‘neobank’ Razorpay in India

Regulatory uncertainties over crypto — coupled with Indians’ tendency not to rebel — have prevented decentralized finance from taking off in India despite the unbanked’s tremendous needs, says Siddharth Verma of Nuo Network.

Ripple recently laid out a framework for India to legalize crypto through regulations. But does the Indian government have the incentives and will to do so?

India’s cryptocurrency market has vast potential — what’s holding it back? A continued lack of regulatory clarity as well as crypto education, says CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal.

Will India ban crypto? Regulatory uncertainty is causing nation to miss out on economic benefits. Smart regulations, says Ripple, may provide a way forward.

India could reap greater economic growth, cut down on corruption and more if it adopts a more progressive stance on cryptocurrency. A leading role in Asia is New Delhi’s for the taking.

White paper by global blockchain payment platform urges Indian lawmakers to make cryptocurrency legal while providing mechanisms to root out bad actors.

Other top news: Chinese high schoolers cram-studying bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries in Cambodia. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.

India and DeFi could be headed for a symbiotic relationship — unless the government cracks down on crypto again and forces a breakup.

Also: Dozens of crypto firms sued in 11 class-action lawsuits. Bitcoin mining company Canaan bleeds red ink. Fintech funding in India, and more.

What’s up with South Korea’s new blockchain regulations? And where is bitcoin now legal tender? (Mai oui!) Other headlines around the world: a storm over STEEM, the new Baseline protocol for privacy, HTC’s Exodus 5G Hub, and how the coronavirus has affected blockchain firms in China.

India’s crypto sector saw a major boost after its Supreme Court ruled to lift a ban on crypto trading, paving the way for more blockchain development.

The uncertain legal status of cryptocurrencies is under the microscope in India.

Blockchain has had an interesting, albeit slightly paradoxical journey in India. On one hand, the technology itself has seen great support from the startup ecosystem as well as the Government. On the other hand, cryptocurrencies have faced huge regulatory hurdles in India, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a directive to ring-fence regulated entities like banks from the risk of trading virtual assets.

Public support in India is strong for cryptocurrency ownership. But regulators’ blanket ban may lead to a gray market, increasing the chances of fraud.