BREAKING: India To Legalize Crypto, Launch CBDC, Mass Adoption Imminent

Mass adoption in the 2nd most populated country is nearly here.

Covered:

India Crypto Legalization
CBDC Launch
India Crypto: 82% of Citizens Plan to Buy

India Crypto Legalization

It was reported this morning that India, the second largest country on the planet, is on the precipice of a full-crypto embrace and legalization. This comes as “Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 30% tax on any income from the transfer of virtual digital assets,” a first for the nation.

GM to my friends in India who can now use Bitcoin & crypto legally.

Your turn, Pakistan. @ImranKhanPTI

— muneeb.btc (@muneeb) February 1, 2022

In essence, that is legalization. Sitharaman also said that the digital rupee will “most likely be issued in the 2022-2023 time frame.” Crypto appears to be impervious to attacks in India, as leaders have gone back and forth with “bans.” Now the leaders are seeing the light. In a speech, Sitharaman spoke glowingly of crypto:

“There has been a phenomenal increase in transactions in virtual digital assets. The magnitude and frequency of these transactions have made it imperative to provide for a specific tax regime.”

Crypto is now “too big to be ignored.” The Ministry’s new taxation regime is a tacit endorsement of crypto and indicates the government is willing to allow it. CEO of WazirX Nischal Shetty, the most popular exchange for Indians, said: “India is finally on the path to legitimizing the crypto sector.” He went on to stress how important this tax clarity is for the nascent but thriving digital assets industry.

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CBDC Launch

Not only is the government legalizing the industry for billions of citizens, but they are also launching a Digital Rupee, also known as a CBDC. Shetty from WazirX said of this move: “launching a blockchain-powered digital rupee is “phenomenal” as it will “pave the way for crypto adoption.”

CEO of CoinDCX Sumit Gupta said the initiative was “forward-looking and inspirational,” adding that taxing crypto transfers is a “step in the right direction.” As noted by many, you can’t tax something which is illegal, so the move to tax crypto and thus legalize the industry is certain to see billions of dollars come into the country.

The CBDC is set to launch “in the 2022-2023 time frame,” according to government officials. The Reserve Bank of India will be launching the pilot CBDC from April 2022 to March 2023. After China, India would be the second-largest country to roll out a legitimate digital currency at scale.

India Crypto: 82% of Citizens Plan to Buy

Deloitte, a major accounting auditing firm, reported today a whopping “82% of Indians plan to invest in cryptocurrency when the government provides more clarity surrounding the regulation of crypto assets.” “55.2% said they have invested in crypto and will continue to do so. 26.8% said they have not invested in crypto but are willing to invest once the government provides more clarity.”

The report notes only 20 million people in a country of 1 billion have invested in crypto. That means that mass adoption in the form of a tsunami of spot market buyers is on the way.

A rep from Deloitte, Saraswathi Kasturirangan, said the crypto industry [in India] has “long been awaiting the cryptocurrency bill to be passed detailing the regulatory compliances surrounding cryptocurrencies and the taxability under direct and indirect tax laws.”

Now that the clarity is more or less here, India and its tech-savvy and vibrant youth could make lasting contributions to the space and bring massive demand to the ever-growing crypto market.