WazirX

Binance, Kraken Websites to be Blocked in India’s Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Exchanges

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Financial Intelligence Unit, an Indian government agency which scrutinizes financial transactions, said Thursday nine global crypto exchanges — including Binance, Kraken, Kucoin and Mexc — are operating “illegally” in the country without complying with the local anti-money laundering act and asked the IT Ministry to block their websites. Global crypto exchanges are required to comply with India’s anti-money laundering rules and cannot evade the guidelines just because they don’t have physical presence in the country, the government agency said. Cryptocurrencies were brought into the ambit of anti-money laundering / counter financing of terrorism framework in India in March this year. India began taxing virtual currencies last year, levying a 30% tax on the gains and a 1% deduction on each crypto transaction. “Most Indian crypto exchanges are FIU registered entities and adhere with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Amidst India’s Cryptocurrency Scrutiny, WazirX Volumes Take a Sharp Plunge

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The trading volume at top Indian crypto exchange WazirX fell to $1 billion in 2023 as the platform faced intensifying regulatory pressure in its home market alongside a broader slump for digital asset prices — and equities — globally. WazirX, which has had a dispute with Binance over the Indian firm’s ownership, put a positive gloss on the latest figures, touting the $1 billion trading tally in a public statement Tuesday. The 97% plunge in trading volume comes as WazirX faces mounting regulatory pressures from Indian authorities that have left the country’s once-burgeoning crypto sector fighting for survival. India began taxing virtual currencies last year, levying a 30% tax on the gains and a 1% deduction on each crypto transaction. India’s intensifying regulatory crackdown on cryptocurrencies has cast a chill over local investors once eager to back the country’s crypto startups.