The domestic asset management industry is also helping adoption of crypto by its incompetence. Most large-cap fund managers have struggled to beat their benchmarks, especially in recent years.
With the speed cryptocurrency is emerging as the Millennial generations alternative asset of choice in India, its hard to imagine that just two years ago a couple of blockchain pioneers were briefly in police custody. Sathvik Vishwanath and Harish BV, cofounders of a then five-year-old startup, were arrested in late 2018. No, they hadnt pulled off a shady initial coin offering. Their crime was that they put up a kiosk in a mall in Bangalore where customers could swap Bitcoin, Ether or Ripple for cash or vice versa. That was the whole point of Unocoin, their crypto token exchange. But the police were suspicious of the new-fangled ATM.
A lot has changed since then. Unocoin, which just raised financing from Tesla Inc.-backer Tim Drapers Draper Associates, is flourishing, together with other Indian blockchain ventures. Indias share of person-to-person virtual-currency trading in Asia has surged to 33%, the same as in China, according to Oslo-based Arcane Researchs analysis of volumes on Paxful and LocalBitcoins, the biggest platforms for transactions in the region.
Some of this is no doubt due to the bubbly rise this year in Bitcoin, which recently came within $100 of its all-time high after surpassing $19,000 for the first time since 2017. Even after Thursdays wobble, prices have still more than doubled this year.
But fundamental factors are also at play. Sending money to India in a tokenized form, and thus avoiding hefty bank charges, is becoming an option. Some customers of digital-asset exchanges, probably tech-savvy freelancers, receive tokens at regular intervals as payment for their work and convert them into rupees via their local bank accounts. Families in India are using the same channel to send money to students overseas.
Having the worlds largest diaspora and more than $100 billion in two-way money flows last year isnt the only thing. Prime Minister Narendra Modis disastrous ban on 86% of the countrys currency in November 2016 shook Indians faith in fiat money. Add the fear of leaving spare cash in banks when three major deposit-taking institutions have crumbled in the past 15 months. No wonder Arcane expects Indian crypto volumes to overtake Chinas.
The domestic asset management industry is also helping adoption of crypto by its incompetence. Most large-cap fund managers have struggled to beat their benchmarks, especially in recent years. The Nifty 50 index has returned only about 2% annually in dollar terms over the past decade. Yet, as Bloomberg Intelligences Gaurav Patankar and Morgan Barna have shown, lack of performance hasnt kept managers from pocketing high fees.
Disgruntled younger savers are taking note, and dipping their toes in U.S. exchange-traded funds. At 1%, international allocation is still tiny, the Bloomberg Intelligence analysts say, but its growing rapidly. Ditto for crypto-investing, even though holding a highly volatile digital asset over the long term isnt for the faint of heart. Only 600 of Unocoins 1.2 million customers have started a systematic buying plan to invest (mostly) in Bitcoin. But 99.5% of them are sitting on profit, and must be bragging about it to their friends.
Theres one dampener: regulation. Nobody wants a return to 2018, when the Reserve Bank, the monetary authority, instructed banks not to entertain customers who dealt in virtual currency. The draconian approach nearly strangled Indias blockchain revolution. The action against Unocoins kiosk in Bangalore was like the heavy hand of the state crashing down on a kids lemonade stand. If folks in Indias technology capital couldnt pay cash to buy digital tokens, then the asset was effectively being banned nationwide.
In hindsight, the founders ordeal with the police proved to be a blessing in disguise. Young entrepreneurs joined together, went to the Supreme Court in New Delhi and got the RBIs direction to banks declared unconstitutional. That was in March. Already, the exchange has seen a fivefold jump in trading, averaging $150,000 a day, from $30,000 before the courts verdict. Of late, trading is much higher, thanks to the rally in Bitcoin prices. Larger bourses such as CoinDCX were witnessing daily volumes of almost $700,000, when I last checked.
The players are urging the government to bring digital assets under the existing money-laundering law, which will give the industry legitimacy. The next step would be to regulate the tokens as money or securities, depending on their use.
Indias phlegmatic bureaucracy may wonder if this is all a craze. Perhaps not. It isnt even unique to Indian Millennial and Generation Z consumers. Wringing the global banking industry dry of its exorbitant fees, and putting more purchasing power in peoples hands after the Covid-19 pandemic, will be a worldwide goal. In their study titled, What We Must Do to Rebuild, Deutsche Bank AG economists are advising companies and policy makers to design alternatives to credit cards and remove middleman fees. In the short run, conventional fintech will help, but in the longer term, major economies will all do this by replacing cash with their own central bank digital currencies.
Thats when older consumers will join in. If they dont, theyll get get stuck, and not just figuratively. Automatically triggered crypto smart contracts will make it possible for self-driving cars to switch lanes faster than others. Commuters will be continuously paying one another in official digital currencies or in stablecoins like Facebook Inc.s proposed Libra, private tokens whose values are fixed against fiat money.
The Indian Millennials have read the tea leaves right.
Get live Stock Prices from BSE, NSE, US Market and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know markets Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Financial Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Biz news and updates.
Go here to read the rest:
Indian cryptocurrency startups victory bigger than the price of Bitcoin - Financial Express
- Bitcoin Just Did Something It Has Only Done 3 Times Before. The Cryptocurrency Usually Does This Next. - The Motley Fool - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Market News: Bitcoin Halving Steadies Price, Network Transaction Fees Spike - Investopedia - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Just Did Something It Has Only Done 3 Times Before. The Cryptocurrency Usually Does This Next. - Yahoo Finance - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- 10 Best Cryptocurrencies To Buy In April 2024 - Forbes - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Movement Labs raises $38 million to build layer 2 blockchain on Ethereum with Facebook tech - Fortune - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson Reiterates Core Purpose of Cryptocurrency Here's What You Need to Know - Cryptonews - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- From Cryptocurrency to Cannabis: 7 Penny Stocks on the Rise - InvestorPlace - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- South Carolina: Cryptocurrency scams on the rise in Upstate - WYFF4 Greenville - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Binance BNB Memecoin Traders Join 100X New Cryptocurrency On Uniswap - Yahoo Finance - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- The Future of Real Estate: Investing in Tokenized Properties with Cryptocurrency - ForexLive - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- The Current Position with Cryptocurrency Regulation in the United States - Latest Cryptocurrency Prices & Articles - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- 3 Must-Know Facts About Ethereum, Before You Buy the Cryptocurrency - The Motley Fool - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency: 3 Meme Coins To Watch In May for Exponential Gains - Watcher Guru - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- EOS Falls 14% In Bearish Trade By Investing.com - Investing.com - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- The UItimate Cryptocurrency to Buy With $1,000 Today - The Motley Fool - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Romance scams involving AI images, cryptocurrency on the rise in Chicago - CBS Chicago - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Halving Event Of 2024: The Aftermath Forbes Advisor Australia - Forbes - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic Down More Than 4% Within 24 hours - Benzinga - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency: Top 3 Coins To Buy Now For 10X Gains In 2024 - Watcher Guru - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- What's going to be different with the halving of Bitcoin this time? - Euronews - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency OKB Decreases More Than 3% Within 24 hours - Benzinga - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency OKB Decreases More Than 3% Within 24 hours - Investing.com UK - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Kaspa Falls More Than 3% In 24 hours - Benzinga - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- BRICS To Replace US Dollar With Cryptocurrency for Trade - Watcher Guru - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Halving Sparks Unprecedented Transformation in Cryptocurrency Market - West Island Blog - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Influential Analyst on YouTube Shares High-Potential Cryptocurrency That Could Beat Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Dogecoin (DOGE) Gains in This Bull Run -... - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Uniswap Up More Than 3% In 24 hours By Benzinga - Investing.com UK - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin is halving again what does that mean for the cryptocurrency and the market? - The Conversation - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic Down More Than 4% Within 24 hours By Benzinga - Investing.com UK - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- RackNerd Expands Cryptocurrency Payment Options with Coinify Integration, Accepting Over 30 Cryptocurrencies - PR Web - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- What Meltdown? Crypto Comes Roaring Back in the Philippines. - The New York Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Chinas cryptocurrency investors made gains of US$1 billion in 2023 - South China Morning Post - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- 1 Super Cryptocurrency Could Soar to $200,000 by 2025, According to a Wall Street Analyst - The Motley Fool - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Miners Need to Report their Energy Use - Earthjustice - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Understanding the Fundamental Differences Between Cryptocurrency and Fiat Currency - FinSMEs - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- SOL Flips BNB, Becoming 4th Largest Cryptocurrency as Ethereum Becomes Next Target - CCN.com - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Prosecutors seek from 40 to 50 years in prison for Sam Bankman-Fried for cryptocurrency fraud - The Associated Press - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency: 3 Meme Coins That Could 15x This Bull Season - Watcher Guru - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Can the Bitcoin surge push India to overcome its cryptocurrency hurdles? - The National - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- The Ultimate Cryptocurrency to Buy With $1,000 Today - Yahoo Finance - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency laundryman gets hung out to dry - The Register - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Bitcoin price predictions: How much more could it rise in 2024? - Euronews - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Shiba Inu Is Skyrocketing: Is It a Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Right Now? - Yahoo Finance - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- 1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Before It Soars 1,328%, According to Cathie Wood of Ark Invest - The Motley Fool - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- The other Bitcoin rally: How scams are cashing in on the cryptocurrency fever - EL PAS USA - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Kalshi Prediction Market To Introduce Cryptocurrency Betting (Payouts In USD) - Blockchain Magazine - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Hits Record $72,000, Emboldening Crypto Industry - The New York Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Solana (SOL) Flips BNB to Become 4th Largest Cryptocurrency - Watcher Guru - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Predicting which Cryptocurrency will Boom in 2024 - ForexLive - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Nigeria's Cryptocurrency Crackdown Will Have Consequences, Experts Say - Voice of America - VOA News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Crypto ETN providers head for UK but urge rethink on retail ban - Financial Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Trump Signals Positive Stance on Cryptocurrency If Elected to the White House - Yahoo Finance - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Bulls vs. Bubble Bears: A Cryptocurrency Clash - Crypto Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Imprison crypto fraudster Bankman-Fried 40 to 50 years, say feds - New York Daily News - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Is This The Best Cryptocurrency to Buy With $1,000? - Analytics Insight - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- How Immortalboost.com Connects Gamers and Cryptocurrency - TheXboxHub - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Avalanche (AVAX) Created Millionaires, Here's The New A.I Exchange Cryptocurrency Predicted Huge Gains In 2024 - Analytics Insight - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Solana volume leapfrogs Ethereum as memecoin frenzy seen sending price to $415 - DLNews - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Bitcoin alternatives, from Ether to Dogecoin - Quartz - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Price on March 12: Bitcoin trades near $72,000; Toncoin, Avalanche jump up to 34% - The Economic Times - March 18th, 2024 [March 18th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency: 3 Coins To Watch Under $1 as Bitcoin Hits $56,000 - Watcher Guru - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- The Ultimate Cryptocurrency to Buy With $1,000 Today - The Motley Fool - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- The vast Ponzi scheme that is cryptocurrency - The Pasadena Star-News - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Exploring the World of Global Cryptocurrency Exchanges - Indiana Daily Student - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency Prices And News: Bitcoin Price Hits 27-Month High Above $57000 - Investor's Business Daily - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- 7 Best Cryptocurrency Investing Strategies | Investing | U.S. News - U.S News & World Report Money - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency fraud costs: $1.56 billion in 2023 - Accounting Today - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Expanding Horizons: WDC Quantify's 2024 Plan to Revolutionize Cryptocurrency Trading and Investment - Morningstar - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- BC Court Upholds Temporary Freeze on Cryptocurrency Mining Connections to BC Hydro Grid - BlockTribune - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms Win Temporary Restraining Order Against DoE Cryptocurrency Mining ... - BlockTribune - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Bitcoin price passes $57,000 to hit 2-year high - Quartz - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- More from Fed's Schmid: Would be a mistake to consider cryptocurrency as a currency - ForexLive - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- 1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Before It Soars 4,500%, According to Cathie Wood's Ark Invest - The Motley Fool - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Cryptocurrency: 3 Coins That Could Surge in March - Watcher Guru - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Blockchain Unveiled: Beyond Cryptocurrency Lies a World of Opportunity - AutoGPT Official - AutoGPT - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Updated Bitcoin prices outlook for 2024 By Investing.com - Investing.com - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Suspicious Activity Surrounds BitForex Cryptocurrency Exchange The Merkle News - The Merkle Hash - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Donald Trump's Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tops $5M, Thanks to $2.9M in Trump-Branded Tokens Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Matthew Perry's X account hacked and soliciting cryptocurrency donations through fraudulent site - MSN - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Bitcoin: Here's why the flagship cryptocurrency keeps soaring - Cointribune EN - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]