Abhay Agarwal of GetBit on Bitcoin-First Investing, Self-Custody, and Building Long-Term Financial Literacy in India

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Abhay Agarwal, Founder & CEO of GetBit, who reflects on building India’s first Bitcoin-native platform at a time when digital assets are often dominated by speculation and short-term narratives. Drawing from over two decades of experience across banking, payments, and technology, Agarwal shares why GetBit was designed with a singular focus on Bitcoin as a long-term store of value and a tool for protecting savings rather than chasing market hype.

He discusses how GetBit has evolved in 2025 by strengthening its self-custody infrastructure, introducing disciplined accumulation tools like Bitcoin SIPs, and deepening its education-first approach through community initiatives such as Bitcoinwaale. The conversation explores the changing perception of Bitcoin in India amid growing global institutional adoption, the importance of financial literacy in driving sustainable adoption, and the challenges of navigating regulation, taxation, and misinformation in the crypto ecosystem. Agarwal also outlines GetBit’s long-term vision of expanding Bitcoin-backed products, growing a conviction-driven user base, and building generational wealth for Indian users through clarity, trust, and principled execution.

StartupTalky: What service does GetBit provide? What was the motivation or vision with which you started?

Abhay Agarwal: GetBit is India’s first Bitcoin-native platform that enables users to buy, sell, and securely hold Bitcoin with a strong emphasis on self-custody and long-term ownership. After spending over two decades across banking, payments, and technology, I saw firsthand how the traditional financial system steadily erodes savings and limits access to real wealth creation not just in India but globally. At the same time, the crypto space was becoming increasingly noisy, driven by speculative altcoins rather than real solutions. 

GetBit was built to cut through that noise and focus on Bitcoin alone, as a principled rethinking of money and a reliable long-term store of value. Our vision is to help Indians understand, secure, and use Bitcoin to protect their savings and build generational wealth.

StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What are the USP(s) of your service?

Abhay Agarwal: Over the past year, we’ve expanded our offering in ways that stay true to Bitcoin’s long-term ownership ethos. We introduced Bitcoin SIPs to help users accumulate stats in a disciplined manner, sped up the processing of self-custody batches to make ownership faster and smoother, and launched features like Bitcoin gifting and referral bonuses to encourage wider, more organic adoption.

Our USPs are clear and intentional. We are a Bitcoin-only platform built around self-custody, ensuring users retain true ownership of their assets. We focus on offering some of the best rates in the market, paired with a product that is intentionally simple and easy to use. By removing unnecessary complexity and speculative distractions, we make Bitcoin ownership more accessible, transparent, and secure.

StartupTalky: How has the industry you are in changed in recent years and how has GetBit adapted to these changes?

Abhay Agarwal: The industry is still evolving in India, especially among younger audiences who are just beginning to understand the difference between crypto experimentation and Bitcoin's fundamental monetary proposition. What has changed dramatically in recent years is the entry of institutional legitimacy: national banks exploring Bitcoin reserves, major financial institutions launching ETF products, and even central banks researching digital currency frameworks have collectively boosted overall customer confidence and signaled that Bitcoin is no longer a fringe conversation.

In response, the company has adapted by doubling down on education, ensuring that users move beyond hype and develop genuine financial literacy around Bitcoin. The focus has shifted toward building long-term savings habits, promoting self custody as a core principle, and designing intuitive tools that meet users where they are rather than expecting them to navigate complex trading interfaces. This approach aligns with a market that is maturing institution by institution, user by user, rather than overnight, and where trust is built through transparency, consistent messaging, and real empowerment rather than speculation.

StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the GetBit's growth and performance?

Abhay Agarwal: GetBit currently serves a community of approximately 50,000 users, with a stated goal of scaling this base significantly by the end of the financial year. Beyond user numbers, we track engagement indicators that reflect long-term behaviour, such as adoption of Bitcoin SIPs, self custody usage, and repeat participation. Growth for us is measured not just in scale, but in how informed and conviction-driven our user base becomes.

Community growth and education are equally important metrics for us. India’s journey toward financial literacy is still evolving, with only about 27% of adults meeting adequate standards, and the gap is even wider in crypto where excitement often outpaces understanding. That’s why we measure impact through initiatives like Bitcoinwaale, where we host community meetups and online forums focused on teaching the basics of sound money and Bitcoin. For us, growth isn’t just about numbers on a dashboard. It’s about building a better-informed community that moves away from speculation, protects its savings, and thinks in terms of long-term, generational wealth.

StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

Abhay Agarwal: One of the biggest challenges has been navigating a regulatory environment where well-intentioned user protection measures sometimes create unintended gatekeeping, making it harder for Bitcoin to reach the people who need it most. At the same time, operating amid taxation friction, tighter macro liquidity, and widespread misinformation within the broader crypto ecosystem has required constant recalibration.

We have been to stay grounded in what works: listening closely to user feedback and iterating rapidly on UI, onboarding flows, and feature design to make Bitcoin acquisition simpler and more intuitive with each release. As the market has grown and matured, so has the platform, absorbing real-world insights and translating them into tangible improvements. Education has remained central, helping users cut through noise and understand Bitcoin's foundational value rather than chasing speculative narratives. Marketing and communication have also evolved to use precise, compliance-aware language that avoids hype or speculative claims, ensuring that messaging remains transparent and responsible even as it scales. This disciplined, feedback-driven approach has allowed the company to improve steadily without compromising on principles or user trust

StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack that you pulled off.

Abhay Agarwal: Our marketing approach is rooted in education and community, not hype. We believe that long-term adoption only happens when people truly understand what they’re engaging with. That’s why initiatives like Bitcoinwaale sit at the centre of our strategy. Through regular community meetups and online forums, Bitcoinwaale brings together a growing network of over 800 committed Bitcoiners who are learning about sound money, self-custody, and long-term ownership in a structured, open environment.

Rather than chasing short-term spikes in attention, we focus on building trust through consistent education, clear messaging, and real conversations. This approach has helped us grow organically by attracting users who align with our philosophy and stay through market cycles. For us, sustainable growth comes from informed participation, not viral moments.

StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and globally? What differences in market behaviour have you observed?

Abhay Agarwal: Globally, Bitcoin is increasingly being recognised as a long-term store of value and a permanent portfolio allocation. In India, the opportunity is immense but shaped by different dynamics. Adoption here is more sensitive to education, policy clarity, and taxation, even though interest in protecting savings is strong. India’s digitally native population and rapid financial digitisation create a powerful foundation for Bitcoin adoption once clarity and understanding improve.

StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand your customer base, service offering, and team in the future?

Abhay Agarwal: Our expansion strategy is centered on deepening engagement within Bitcoin’s ecosystem rather than expanding into speculative assets. This includes building Bitcoin-backed products and services that enhance ownership, security, and practical use cases. Team growth is focused on people who align with Bitcoin’s ethos, long-term thinking, and commitment to user education.

StartupTalky: One tip you would like to share with another service company founder?

Abhay Agarwal: Bringing a service like this, and building around an asset like Bitcoin, isn’t about reacting to visible demand in the market. It’s about recognising an opportunity early and having the conviction to serve it well. When you’re working on something meaningful, especially in a space that challenges existing systems, the path is rarely smooth. There will be periods of uncertainty, resistance, and moments where the easier option is to dilute your vision just to grow faster.

What matters is belief in the problem you’re solving and consistency in how you solve it. If you stay anchored to first principles, build with integrity, and prioritise long-term value over short-term wins, the work compounds. Markets eventually reward clarity and conviction. The journey may get difficult at times, but if you remain honest to your mission and your users, the results follow in ways that hype-driven approaches never can.

Explore more Recap'25 interviews here.