India Likely to Regulate Crypto, Not Ban It, in Upcoming Budget: Report

The Indian government is likely to regulate cryptocurrencies in its upcoming budget in February, moving away from its earlier approach of seeking to impose an outright ban, according to a Business Today report.

• A law covering cryptocurrencies will most likely be discussed in the country’s next general budget, the report said, citing Indian Finance Ministry officials.
• The government is likely to opt for regulating cryptocurrencies as an asset class, similar to commodities, with appropriate taxation of transactions and gains.
• India’s Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials are currently engaged in “fine-tuning the conceptual framework and the necessary regulations,” according to Business Today.
• In June, the New Indian Express reported the government was leaning towards classifying bitcoin as an asset class, citing industry sources, and that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) would regulate the cryptocurrency sector.

Read more: India May Have Quietly Shown Its Hand on Crypto Regulation