Cryptocurrencies

Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) has issued notice to 15 Virtual Digital Assets Service providers for non-compliance with anti-money laundering law and asked the entities to take down their application/URLs for public access. Virtual Digital Assets Service Providers (VDA SPs) operating in India, whether offshore or onshore, and engaged in activities like exchange of virtual digital assets and fiat currencies, and transfer of virtual digital assets, are required to be registered with FIU-IND as reporting entity and comply with Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These obligations are activity-based and are not contingent on physical presence of the entity in India. The finance ministry said as part of compliance action against non-compliant entities, FIU-IND has issued notices to 15 VDA SPs for non-compliance under Section 13 of the PMLA. These entities include Weex International Exchange, BLF Global, Bitunix LLC, DigiFinex Ltd and FinSeven CZ. "The Director, FIU-

Bitcoin climbed to around $69,500 after a wave of short covering, amid Trump's meeting with crypto executives and lower borrowing costs adding to buying momentum

The proposed rule seeks to create routes for eligible crypto issuers to raise capital and clarify when an investment contract linked to a non-security crypto asset ceases to exist

India's Gen Z is entering financial markets earlier and increasingly using cryptocurrency as a gateway to investing, while showing a preference for diversified portfolios and a willingness to stay invested through market volatility, data from crypto exchange WazirX showed. Nearly 44.4 per cent of Gen Z investors on the platform began their investment journey through crypto, suggesting that a large share of young investors are entering financial markets through digital assets rather than adding crypto to established portfolios. The median age of Gen Z investors on WazirX is 25, while the generation accounted for 72 per cent of all new investors on the platform in the first half of 2026. Gen Z also made up 32.1 per cent of active traders, the company said. The trend is spreading beyond India's largest cities. Nearly 80 per cent of WazirX's Gen Z users come from outside the country's top 10 cities, highlighting the growing participation of investors from Tier-2 and Tier-3 centres. Mumb

The 198-page guidance note explains reporting obligations for crypto service providers under the Income-tax Act, 2025, in line with the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework

While analysts broadly agree that AI and crypto are not mutually exclusive themes, views diverge on whether an AI correction could eventually benefit Bitcoin.

Pakistan's crypto regulator has sought an Islamic ruling distinguishing speculative cryptocurrencies from asset-backed digital tokens to support wider adoption

Crypto is taxed, tracked and traded in India. But the RBI still refuses to recognise it as an asset class. Can this uneasy arrangement endure?

RBI tells House panel it's not in favour of VDAs as currency

Analysts attributed the decline to a combination of profit booking by large holders, softer risk appetite, concerns over financing risks at Strategy Inc.

Analysts attribute the correction to a combination of macroeconomic uncertainty, tighter liquidity conditions, and a broader risk-off sentiment across global markets

Mohit Kumar, head of markets research at Delta Exchange, expects Bitcoin to consolidate for a considerable period before reaching a new all-time high

Gracy Chen, CEO, Bitget, in an email interview with Kumar Gaurav, said Bitcoin has historically been highly sensitive to liquidity cycles, noting that periods of volatility are not unusual

SB Seker, head of APAC at Binance, said the outlook of the crypto markets hinges on regulation, liquidity and market maturation

Stablecoins may be solving the adoption problem, but they are not necessarily the primary destination for investment returns.

Bitcoin climbed nearly 3% in early Asian trading to around $65,400 after the US and Iran signalled a de-escalation of hostilities, boosting risk appetite across global markets

Analysts noted that the scale of the unwind indicates that the downturn was driven not just by spot selling but also by aggressive deleveraging in derivatives markets

Bitcoin Pizza Day commemorates the first real-world Bitcoin transaction, when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas on May 22, 2010.

The move, they believe, could create a more stable and transparent framework that encourages institutional participation, strengthens investor confidence, and supports innovation

Analysts remain cautiously optimistic on the outlook, citing continued institutional demand, improving risk appetite, and better market participation