Amid Changing Global Regulatory Environment, India is Reevaluating its Stance on Cryptocurrency
According to a senior government official who spoke with an international news agency recently, India is reevaluating its position on cryptocurrencies in light of changing perceptions of the virtual asset in other nations. A discussion paper on cryptocurrencies that was scheduled for release in September 2024 may be further delayed by the review, which comes after US President Donald Trump announced policies that are favourable to cryptocurrencies.
Regarding the use, acceptance, and perceived significance of cryptocurrency assets, more than one or two jurisdictions have altered their positions. India's Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth stated in an interview, "In that step, we are looking at the discussion on the paper again."
No Unilateral Stance on Cypto
India's attitude cannot be one-sided, according to Seth, because such assets "don't believe in borders." He made no mention of the US, where Trump fulfilled his pledge to restructure US crypto policy last week by directing the formation of a working group on cryptocurrencies to develop new rules for digital assets and investigate the establishment of a national cryptocurrency reserve.
Despite the country's strict regulations and high trade taxes, Indians have been investing heavily in cryptocurrencies in recent years. In December 2023, nine offshore cryptocurrency exchanges received show-cause notices from India's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for violating local regulations.
Why Indian Authorities are Keeping a Close Eye?
Despite the increasing use of digital assets in the nation, India has so far adopted a stringent regulatory approach to cryptocurrency. For the second consecutive year, India led the world's adoption of cryptocurrencies in 2024, according to a Chainalysis study. In 2022, India imposed a steep 30% capital gains tax and a 1% tax deducted at the source on cryptocurrency transactions over INR 10K.
India's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) sent show-cause notices to nine cryptocurrency exchanges in December 2023, including Binance, Kucoin, and Bitfinex, for allegedly "illegally" conducting business in the nation through offshore businesses. Several federal organisations are currently looking into WazirX after hackers took about $235 million from one of its wallets in July of last year.
Over 4 million Indians have yet to fully recoup from the losses caused by the breach. Several cryptocurrency companies, including OKX, Pillow, Flint, and WeTrade, have had to close their doors as a result of India's crackdown on the sector.
India's market watchdog suggested last year that multiple regulators monitor cryptocurrency trading, indicating that at least some Indian officials are willing to permitting the usage of private virtual assets. The country's central bank, which has insisted that private digital currencies pose a macroeconomic danger, disagreed with that stance.
Nitin Konde
