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    Coinbase Resumes Operations in India, Begins User Registration Again

    Ethan CarterBy No Comments3 Mins Read
    1765185228

    US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is making its comeback to India after a two-year hiatus from the market.

    Coinbase has restarted app registrations in India as it prepares to introduce local fiat on-ramps in 2026, announced Coinbase APAC director John O’Loghlen at India Blockchain Week (IBW), according to a TechCrunch report released on Sunday.

    Coinbase’s return comes more than two years after ceasing local services in September 2023, following a challenging launch of its local exchange in 2022.

    “We had millions of customers in India historically, and we made a definitive decision to off-board those customers entirely from overseas entities, where they were based and regulated. We wanted to burn the boats and have a clean slate here,” O’Loghlen stated.

    Crypto-to-crypto trades available now

    As Coinbase resumes onboarding customers in India, users can immediately engage in crypto-to-crypto trades, per the TechCrunch report.

    The exchange initially began user onboarding through an early-access program in October, coinciding with the time it added Karan Malik as its India marketing lead.

    Coinbase, India, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Policy
    Source: Coinbase India marketing lead Karan Malik

    Malik had previously managed marketing for last year’s IBW event, where Coinbase was a platinum sponsor this year.

    “Last year, I led the effort to develop the marketing and brand strategy for IBW. This year, I’m bringing Coinbase to the event,” the executive commented.

    Coinbase intensifies efforts in India

    Coinbase has been actively striving to mend its relationship with the Indian government. In early December, Coinbase’s international policy adviser Katie Mitch represented the exchange at India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

    “We are hopeful about the prospects of progressive VDA regulation in India,” she wrote in an X post last Thursday.

    In another recent development, Priyank Kharge, IT minister for Karnataka, signed a memorandum of understanding with Coinbase India to enhance the state’s leadership in blockchain innovation and cybersecurity.

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    Source: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

    Through this partnership, the Karnataka government will work with the exchange on startup incubation using the Coinbase-backed Base protocol and accelerate real-world blockchain technology applications, as stated by the minister.

    Related: Coinbase invests in Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX at a $2.45B valuation

    As noted before, Coinbase obtained a license from India’s Financial Intelligence Unit in March 2025, setting the stage for a potential launch in the country. In August, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal met with Karnataka’s IT minister Kharge to discuss cooperation on developer tools, cybersecurity, and blockchain governance.

    Cointelegraph reached out to Coinbase for comments regarding its relaunch in India but had not received a response by the publication time.