Coinbase Reopens Onboarding in India After Two-Year Regulatory Pause

Coinbase has officially switched onboarding back on for users in India, marking its first full reopening since regulatory turbulence forced the exchange to retreat more than two years ago.

The move restores access to one of the world’s most active crypto markets and signals a cautious, compliance-driven return.

The company’s comeback is deliberately gradual. Indian users can once again create accounts and trade crypto pairs directly on the app, but rupee deposits are not yet enabled. According to APAC Director John O’Loghlen, fiat rails will return in 2026, with INR-to-crypto purchases planned once regulatory integrations are finalized. The phased rollout reflects Coinbase’s attempt to rebuild trust after securing registration with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit earlier this year – a key step toward meeting anti-money-laundering requirements.

This reopening follows a rocky first entry in 2022, when Coinbase’s UPI integration was blocked almost immediately after launch. The platform later froze local services entirely in 2023 as it worked to realign with India’s evolving rules. That reset now appears complete, with the exchange positioning itself for long-term growth rather than a quick re-entry.

India’s importance hasn’t diminished during Coinbase’s absence. TRM Labs’ 2025 global adoption rankings placed India at the top for the third year in a row, and international exchanges – including Binance – have recently re-established operations after solving compliance disputes. Coinbase has also been strengthening its local presence through investments, notably by expanding its stake in CoinDCX.

With onboarding fully open and fiat access on the horizon, Coinbase is signalling that it intends to compete seriously in India again – this time with regulatory alignment at the center of its strategy.