India is now home to an estimated 115 million cryptocurrency investors despite a historically negative attitude towards the sector from the government, according to new data. The latest gauge on the number of users in India comes from cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin, which released the findings of its ‘Into The Cryptoverse India Report’ survey on Aug. 23. The estimated 115 million crypto users represent around 15% of the Indian population aged between 18 and 60. A key highlight was the 33% of survey takers concerned by ambiguous government regulations that could deter potential investors. Security concerns were also evident, with 26% …

WazirX exchange's native token WRX benefited the most from India's latest u-turn on crypto this week. WRX price jumps on India tax news WRX price surged nearly 30% to over $1, hitting a three-week high after the Indian government announced a new tax regime for the regional crypto sector, reversing entirely from its earlier strict stance that even contemplated an outright ban on the emerging industry. $WRX - Up on news! https://t.co/Ln504eUZzm pic.twitter.com/zN3pW84DPY — Yo! Crypto ₿ (@YoCrypto) February 1, 2022 In her budget speech on Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that they plan to tax the income from …

Indian crypto exchange WazirX has reportedly paid over $6.62 million (49.2 crore rupees) following non-payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on trade commissions. The total recovery includes the pending tax of $5.43 million (40.5 crore rupees), the interest and a penalty for non-payment. Government officials from the Central GST and Central Excise committee (CGST Mumbai Zone) recovered the funds from the crypto exchange after detecting a GST evasion of $5.43 million on the commissions. A typical GST fraud involves creating fake invoices without actually moving the goods between the seller and the buyer. Officers of CGST Mumbai East comm'te …

Goel highlighted the various methods that are actively being used by fraudsters to dupe investors such as lucrative investment opportunities, illegitimate bank transfers and cryptocurrencies. Acknowledging the growth of Indian crypto users, Goel added: “They [fraudsters] ask you to share your cryptocurrency details. And once you put it in your wallet, then the money is taken away.” After simplifying the elaborate fraud in a sentence, Goel also highlighted that sixteen such cases have been registered involving cryptocurrencies. The Additional Commissioner of Police Shikha Goel warned Indian citizens about the rise in cybercrime in an event hosted by the city police …

According to reports from local media, the Indian government will not move for an outright ban on crypto and will instead regulate the sector. On Nov. 23, Cointelegraph reported that the Indian government was considering a bill proposing the creation of an official digital currency while imposing a ban on all “private” cryptocurrencies. The news sparked panic selling on local crypto exchange WazirX the following day, and the vague wording on the bill and lack of clarification from the government have since left many onlookers divided on the prospects for crypto in India. But Indian news outlet NDTV reported on …

Despite India’s unpredictive stance towards crypto regulations, Singaporean crypto exchange Coinstore has allocated a $20 million fund to set up three new offices in the Indian cities of Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. Coinstore announced to launch its web and app platform in India for spot and futures trading, opening up a new crypto investment avenue for Indian investors. The platform mandates Know Your Customer verification before allowing users to purchase and sell over 50 cryptocurrencies. #Coinstore is very excited to be bringing our services to our users in India! Thank you so much for your unwavering support towards Coinstore, as …

Regulatory discussions in India around a crypto ban caused panic selling on major crypto exchange WazirX, resulting in massive price drop on leading cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). Crypto prices in India crashed soon after the parliament announced to introduce and list 26 new bills in the Winter Session, which included the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021. As Cointelegraph reported, the bill seeks a legislative vote on creating an official digital currency while imposing a ban on “all private cryptocurrencies,” starting Nov. 29. A mass sell-off on WazirX in the morning of Nov. 24 …

India appears to be taking a progressive stance on Bitcoin (BTC). Especially given the fact that the country is attempting to reach a uniform viewpoint on the categorization and legality of this new asset class. Amid a slew of cabinet meetings, industry debriefings and mounting banking issues, the country's prime minister has grown increasingly vocal about cryptocurrencies. At the Sydney Dialogue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for democratic countries to work together to get the most out of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. He also stated that they should not be used for unethical purposes. Take crypto-currency or bitcoin for example. …

According to a report from CNBC TV18 India, the nation's government plans to reclassify cryptocurrency exchanges as e-commerce platforms, which will reduce the Goods and Services Taxes (GST) users must pay per transaction, or per trade, to 1%. Currently, the Indian Government levies an 18% GST on transactions conducted on registered cryptocurrency exchanges, which is passed to users as trading fees. The process is similar to the tax protocol of stock brokerages in the country. However, depending on the legal domicile of the exchange, the new GST proposal could actually result in more tax liabilities for certain users. Back in …

Paytm, India's leading digital payments company, has said Thursday that it would consider Bitcoin services if the country's regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies was more definite. Speaking to Haslinda Amin and Rishaad Salamat during an interview on Bloomberg TV, Paytm's Chief Financial Officer Madhur Deora stated that the rules surrounding Bitcoin (BTC) remain in a “grey area” in India. “Bitcoin is still in a regulatory grey area if not a regulatory ban in India. [...] At the moment Paytm does not do Bitcoin. If it was ever to become fully legal in the country then clearly there could be offerings we …

To celebrate the holiday season in India, cryptocurrency exchanges are looking to lure retail traders by launching aggressive marketing campaigns and giving away crypto. For this year’s Hindu holiday season, which kicked off on Sept. 10, crypto exchanges are encouraging citizens to choose Bitcoin as a gift instead of their traditional choice this time of year — gold. Sathvik Vishwanath, the co-founder of the popular crypto exchange Unocoin, told the Economic Times that if approached right, “Bitcoin and gift vouchers can be an interesting option for users to consider as more awareness activity is expected across the industry.” The exchange …

Cryptocurrency exchange Zebpay and others doing business in India will reportedly be joining IndiaTech, an association aimed at providing regulatory clarity for crypto in the country. According to a Monday report from The Economic Times, executives from some of India’s crypto exchanges said their businesses are considering joining IndiaTech in an effort to pressure the government to regulate crypto, with Zebpay confirming it would be doing so. The report comes one month after the organization published a white paper which included policy recommendations for a regulatory framework for crypto assets and exchanges in India. “The exchanges liked the approach we …