Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, has decided to re-enter the Indian market.
Accordingly, Coinbase announced that after a two-year hiatus, it has once again allowed users in India to register on the platform and make cryptocurrency transactions.
The most striking aspect of this move was the planning of an infrastructure that will enable direct transactions with the Indian rupee (INR) in 2026.
Coinbase’s move was described as a significant turning point for the exchange, which had previously halted operations due to regulatory challenges.
Speaking at India Blockchain Week, Coinbase Asia Pacific Director John O’Loghlen stated that they plan to enable fiat deposits in 2026. This will make it easier for Indian users to purchase cryptocurrencies directly.
O’Loghlen noted that Coinbase has taken a clean slate approach and engaged directly with the Financial Intelligence Unit, the agency responsible for monitoring digital asset transactions. Coinbase completed its FIU registration earlier this year and began accepting users through its early access program in October.
Coinbase first launched in India in 2022 but quickly faced hurdles as it did not support the National Payments Corporation (NPCI) Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
This led to Coinbase ceasing operations completely in 2023, and users were asked to withdraw their funds.
*This is not investment advice.