TLDR
- Coinbase reopened for Indian users in December 2025 after exiting the market in 2023
- Only crypto-to-crypto trading available now, fiat currency support coming 2026
- Exchange registered with Financial Intelligence Unit to meet compliance requirements
- Coinbase maintains 500+ employees in India and recently increased CoinDCX investment
- India leads global crypto adoption rankings for third consecutive year
Coinbase is back in India. The exchange started accepting registrations again after shutting down operations two years ago.
The platform quietly launched an early-access program in October. Now it’s open to all Indian users, according to APAC director John O’Loghlen.
BREAKING:
Coinbase reopens user registration in India and plans to launch an INR-to-crypto fiat ramp in 2026.
— Crypto India (@CryptooIndia) December 8, 2025
Users can trade between cryptocurrencies right now. But they can’t deposit or withdraw rupees yet.
That changes in 2026 when Coinbase plans to add fiat on-ramps. This will let people convert local currency into crypto directly.
Coinbase Global, Inc., COIN
The India exit happened fast back in 2023. Coinbase originally launched in 2022 with Unified Payments Interface support.
The National Payments Corporation pulled the plug almost immediately. Within days, Coinbase had to remove UPI access.
By September 2023, the exchange stopped serving Indian customers completely. Millions of users lost access to their accounts.
Clean Slate Strategy
O’Loghlen described the return as a “clean slate” approach. Coinbase worked directly with the Financial Intelligence Unit this time.
The FIU handles anti-money laundering oversight for crypto platforms. Coinbase finished its FIU registration in early 2024.
That approval opened the door for the October relaunch. The company slowly added users before going fully public.
Trading in India comes with major headaches. The government hits crypto gains with a 30% flat tax.
Loss offsets aren’t allowed. Every trade also faces a 1% transaction levy that crushes volume.
Doubling Down on India
The regulatory mess hasn’t scared Coinbase away. The company keeps investing in the Indian market.
Coinbase Ventures recently bought more of CoinDCX at a $2.45 billion valuation. The local exchange deal happened in October.
The company runs a 500-person team in India. Those employees work on both local products and global initiatives.
India dominates crypto adoption metrics. TRM Labs ranked it first globally for the third year running, beating the U.S. and Pakistan.
Market Competition Heats Up
Other exchanges are flooding back into India too. Bybit restored full app access in September across iOS and Android.
Binance returned in August 2024 after paying regulators $2.25 million. The penalty cleared the way for operations to resume.
Coinbase’s fiat integration timeline remains set for next year. The exchange currently supports cryptocurrency pairs only.
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