Crypto Exchanges India: Best Platforms, Rules, and What to Avoid

When it comes to crypto exchanges India, online platforms where users buy, sell, and trade digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum within India. Also known as Indian crypto trading platforms, these services let you convert INR to crypto and back—but only if you follow the rules. The landscape changed after the RBI’s 2018 banking ban, then again after the 2020 Supreme Court ruling lifted it. Today, you can trade legally, but not everything is allowed.

Indian crypto regulation, the set of legal guidelines enforced by the Income Tax Department and Financial Intelligence Unit to track crypto transactions and prevent money laundering means every trade, swap, or gift can be taxed. If you make a profit, you pay 30% tax on it, plus a 1% TDS on every transaction. That’s not a suggestion—it’s law. Exchanges like Binance India, the former leading crypto platform in India, now rebranded as WazirX after regulatory pressure and a forced shutdown of its INR trading pair used to let you deposit rupees directly. Now, most rely on P2P networks or offshore accounts, which carry their own risks: frozen bank accounts, sudden app bans, or fake platforms pretending to be legit.

Some exchanges still operate quietly in India by avoiding direct INR deposits. Others, like CoinSwitch Kuber and ZebPay, stay open by working with licensed payment gateways and keeping detailed KYC records. But if you’re using a platform that doesn’t ask for your PAN card or Aadhaar, you’re already in danger. The government’s new blockchain tracking tools can trace your wallet activity back to your bank. And if you don’t report your gains? You could face penalties, interest, or even a notice from the tax department.

What you’ll find below are real reviews, warnings, and breakdowns of platforms that actually work in India—plus the ones that are scams pretending to be exchanges. You’ll see why some apps vanished overnight, how tax rules affect your trading strategy, and which services still let you trade without risking your bank account. No hype. No promises. Just what’s true, what’s legal, and what’s still possible in India’s crypto scene right now.