Crypto Exchanges in India: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Trade

When it comes to crypto exchanges in India, platforms where users buy, sell, and store digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum under Indian regulations. Also known as Indian crypto trading platforms, these services have gone from booming to barely breathing in just a few years. The RBI’s 2018 banking ban crushed many, and even though the Supreme Court overturned it in 2020, the damage stuck. Banks still freeze accounts. Payment gateways vanish overnight. And now, with new tax rules and KYC demands, trading isn’t just about crypto—it’s about survival.

That’s why the WazirX, a top Indian crypto exchange that launched in 2018 and became the go-to for rupee trading before being acquired by Binance. Also known as Binance India, it remains one of the few platforms still accepting INR deposits matters so much. It’s not just about low fees or fast trades—it’s about access. If your bank won’t let you send money to a foreign exchange, you need a local one. But even WazirX isn’t safe forever. The Indian government’s 2022 30% tax on crypto gains scared off casual traders, and many exchanges quietly stopped onboarding new users. Meanwhile, Coinbase India, the U.S.-based exchange that briefly offered rupee trading before pulling out in 2023 due to regulatory uncertainty. Also known as Coinbase INR, it once promised simplicity but vanished without warning showed how fragile trust can be. One day you’re trading ETH for INR. The next, your account is frozen and support emails go unanswered.

What’s left? A handful of platforms that operate in the gray zone—peer-to-peer marketplaces, over-the-counter desks, and exchanges that hide behind offshore domains. You’ll find traders on Telegram groups swapping USDT for cash in parking lots. You’ll see people using UPI to buy Bitcoin from strangers, then moving it to non-KYC wallets. It’s not ideal. It’s not legal. But it’s how people trade when the official doors are shut. And that’s what this collection is about: the real, messy, unfiltered truth behind crypto trading in India. You’ll read about exchanges that vanished overnight, airdrops that turned into scams, and the hidden risks of using platforms that claim to be "India-friendly." You’ll learn how to spot a fake exchange, why some apps still work on Android but not iOS, and what to do if your account gets locked. There’s no sugarcoating here. If you’re trading crypto in India in 2025, you’re navigating a minefield. These posts are your map.