Coinbase Plots Full Comeback in India, Fiat Support Expected in 2026

Coinbase, the largest US-based cryptocurrency exchange, has resumed idiosyncratic onboarding successful India aft a two-year pause.

This instrumentality follows sustained engagement with Indian regulators. Despite dense taxes and regulatory friction, India continues to amusement accelerated maturation successful integer plus adoption.

Coinbase initially launched successful India successful April 2022, targeting a growing crypto idiosyncratic base. However, regulatory headwinds emerged quickly.

The level suspended enactment for the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) soon aft the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) distanced itself from the platform. By September 2023, Coinbase had stopped accepting caller Indian sign-ups and told existing users to retreat their balances.

Despite this setback, the institution continued moving to reestablish its beingness successful India. In February, BeInCrypto reported that the speech had begun actively moving with Indian regulators to align with section compliance requirements.

According to TechCrunch, Coinbase began allowing Indian users to instrumentality to the level successful October done an early-access program. The app registration has present been opened widely, though Indian customers are inactive restricted to crypto-to-crypto transactions.

During India Blockchain Week, Coinbase’s APAC director, John O'Loghlen, said the institution is preparing to present a fiat on-ramp successful 2026, which would let users to adhd section currency and acquisition cryptocurrency directly.

“We had millions of customers successful India, historically, and we took a precise wide stance to off-board those customers wholly from overseas entities, wherever they were domiciled and regulated. Because we wanted to benignant of pain the boats [sic], person a cleanable slate here. As a commercialized concern idiosyncratic wanting to marque wealth and progressive users, that’s similar the worst happening you tin do, and truthful you cognize it wasn’t without immoderate hesitation,” O’Loghlen stated.

Coinbase's reentry is broader than conscionable level access. In October 2025, it announced a strategical concern successful CoinDCX, 1 of India's largest crypto exchange, which serves implicit 20.4 cardinal users.†

Last week, it signed a memorandum of knowing with Karnataka’s authorities authorities to fortify the state’s blockchain ecosystem and method capabilities. The concern centers connected developer training, early-stage startup incubation, and nationalist consciousness initiatives.

In summation to Coinbase, respective different large planetary exchanges person returned to the Indian market. Bybit resumed operations aft completing section registration requirements and paying a $1 cardinal penalty. Binance besides made its mode backmost into India past twelvemonth pursuing the outgo of a $2.2 cardinal fine.