Special 
While you stand in ATM queues and jostle for cash, virtual currency bitcoin has gained substantial traction in India. The bitcoin price has surpassed the $1,000 (Rs 68,000) mark, hitting its highest level since 2013 with a hike of nearly 30 per cent in its value since the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation scheme on November 8.
Experts say the cryptocurrency appeals to those worried about a lack of supply of cash but part of this price buoyancy can also be attributed to market-making initiatives of Indian exchanges.
Leading bitcoin trading exchanges say they have witnessed a rise in user base by 250 per cent but add that the amount of transaction India does in the digital currency is still relatively low. People here are only interested in buying bitcoins at the moment and not in selling them, which has also led to increa-sed valuation.
Experts also say there was a rush following the demonetisation announcement as many traders exchanged their black money against bitcoins. "Like gold was exchanged with black money paying a premium, a similar thing happened with bitcoin," said a senior central agency officer. The demand of the largest and oldest among cryptocurrencies is high as it is untraceable by security agencies and does not require physical storage spaces that can be raided by authorities.
Bitcoin is a digital token that is computer generated and not printed or minted physically like a country's currency. It is created and held electronically in a single person, bank, authority has control over it. It works like conventional currency and is traded globally.
"Rates of bitcoins have been increasing since we have started dealing into it, but yes, post-demonetisation demand from India has also increased manifold," said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO of popular bitcoin wallet Unocoin. On Indian exchanges, the bitcoin prices are being quoted at 25-30 per cent higher than cost.
The cryptocurrency has been denied legal status so far by the RBI. The exchanges believe this might change now with the government pushing for digital transactions.
Sandeep Goenka, CEO of Zebpay, one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the country, said, "Indians are enquiring about bitcoins as an alternative and safe investment option. They are downloading Zebpay as they want to experiment with digital currencies. There has been a 50% increase in Zebpay downloads."
However, security agencies say international criminals are transacting in bitcoins while dealing in drugs, arms and porn. This creates a hurdle in their investigation as tracking this money on the web and beyond the country's boundary is impossible.
Copyright©2025 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today
