Indian crypto investors scratch their speculative itch and are buying bitcoin’s dip prices like seasoned pros, Mumbai-based exchange CoinDCX told CoinDesk.
“Indian investors are maturing. They are no longer driven by sentiment or headlines alone; instead, they are focused on the fundamentals and long-term potential of the asset class,” Sumit Gupta, CEO of CoinDCX, said in an email.
“We see it in their behavior: regular Bitcoin systematic investment plans (SIPs), deliberate market orders, and judiciously placed limit orders,” he added, naming ether. Solana and XRP like other favorites.
The latest trend contrasts with the frenetic trading of 2021, when newbies looking for 100x pumps tried their hand at clones and other smaller tokens.
“It is clear that participation is becoming more strategic and measured than reactive. Increasingly, investors are turning to Bitcoin to diversify their portfolio and create long-term wealth,” Gupta said.
Bitcoin price fell to $75,000 after reaching a high of over $126,000 in October. The market as a whole followed suit, with altcoins seeing larger losses. Coincidentally, the Indian National Rupee (INR) has depreciated against the US Dollar in recent weeks, reaching an all-time high of 92 per USD.
Still, trading volumes increased on the exchange, from about $269 million in December to about $309 million in January, he said, adding that activity was more balanced. “We are seeing profit-taking from short-term traders who bought near recent lows, but at the same time, steady accumulation from long-term investors who view these levels as an opportunity,” he noted.
India, the world’s fastest-growing large economy, maintains a cautious and regulatory-focused stance towards digital assets, treating them as taxable virtual digital assets (VDAs) rather than legal tender. The annual budget announced this weekend maintains a 30% tax on crypto gains, without offsetting losses, and a 1% transaction tax withheld at source.
Regulations issued by the Financial Intelligence Unit also impose strict KYC requirements, including regular and accurate reporting of user transactions by exchanges. These measures aim to strengthen compliance with the rules and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
“The Union Budget 2026 proposes to strengthen compliance of crypto platforms in case of lapses in transaction disclosure, with the aim of curbing tax evasion on virtual digital assets,” Gupta said.
We remain fully committed to working with policymakers to support the development of a safe, innovative and globally competitive VDA ecosystem as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.
