$1.55B
, the US-based cryptocurrency exchange, is restarting its operations in India after stepping away from the market for about two years.
At India Blockchain Week (IBW), Coinbase’s Asia-Pacific director, John O’Loghlen, said the company has reopened app registrations in India and plans to introduce local currency transactions in 2026, according to TechCrunch.
O’Loghlen explained that Coinbase once had a large customer base in India but decided to close all those accounts linked to overseas entities. He said the goal was to start fresh in the country with a clean and independent setup.
Did you know?
Subscribe – We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!
Can Russia Use Crypto to Bypass Sanctions? (Animated)
For now, Indian users can make crypto-to-crypto trades, while Coinbase prepares to launch support for local money transfers later.
The company began reopening registrations in October through an early-access program.
Around the same time, Coinbase appointed Karan Malik as its India marketing head. Malik said, “Last year, I was leading the charge and building the marketing and brand playbook for IBW. This year, I’m bringing Coinbase to the party”.
Coinbase is also focusing on improving ties with Indian authorities. In December, its international policy adviser, Katie Mitch, spoke before India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
She later wrote on X, “We are optimistic on the potential for forward-looking VDA regulation in India”.
Recently, Coinbase announced plans to launch its decentralized trading option, called “DeFi Mullet”, for users in Brazil. How does it work? Read the full story.
