Coinbase Just Made It a Lot Easier to Buy Crypto in India — Here’s How

TLDR

• Coinbase has launched direct Indian rupee (INR) deposit and withdrawal rails via IMPS starting June 1, 2026
• Indian users can now move funds directly from bank accounts to Coinbase without P2P intermediaries
• The platform offers spot trading, perpetual futures, and professional tools through Coinbase Advanced
• Coinbase has registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) to meet regulatory requirements
• India ranked first in global crypto adoption for the third consecutive year, with its crypto market valued at $3.04 billion in 2025

Coinbase has launched direct banking rails for Indian rupees, letting users in India deposit and withdraw funds straight from their bank accounts through the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS). The move went live on June 1, 2026.

Until now, Indian crypto users had to rely on peer-to-peer markets or third-party intermediaries to fund their accounts. That process was slow and carried risks, including payment scams and bank account freezes tied to suspicious fund trails.

What the INR Rails Actually Do

The new system connects Indian bank accounts directly to the Coinbase platform. Users can move money in and out without going through unknown third parties.

Coinbase has also set up local INR order books to provide dedicated liquidity for Indian users. This means traders are not matched against global prices but have their own local market.

The platform is offering both spot trading and perpetual futures contracts on major crypto assets. Professional users can access Coinbase Advanced, which includes institutional-grade APIs, TradingView integration, and WebSocket order book streaming.

Regulatory Steps Taken

Coinbase registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) before the launch. The FIU-IND monitors suspicious financial transactions and oversees crypto compliance in the country.

This is a different approach from 2022, when Coinbase launched UPI support in India only to have it blocked within days. The National Payments Corporation of India said at the time it had no knowledge of any arrangement with the exchange.

By securing FIU-IND registration first, Coinbase is signaling it intends to stay.

India’s Crypto Market

India ranked first in global crypto adoption for the third consecutive year, according to TRM Labs. It placed ahead of the United States, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Brazil.

The Indian crypto market was valued at $3.04 billion in 2025. Consulting firm Imarc projects it will reach $14.21 billion by 2034, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 18.66%.

Coinbase has existing ties to the Indian market. It is an investor in CoinDCX, one of India’s largest crypto exchanges. It has also put over $1 million into local developers building on Base, its Ethereum Layer 2 network. More than 4,000 builders in India have used Base, with around 150 projects growing into startups.

John O’Loghlen, Coinbase’s Head of APAC, said the goal is to make the platform fully accessible to Indian retail traders with the same tools used by institutions worldwide.

Coinbase shares closed up 3.72% at $189.03 on Friday, though the stock is down 30.7% over the past six months.

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