Overview
- The Supreme Court of India has urged the central government to address the absence of cryptocurrency regulations, citing risks of misuse and economic implications.
- Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh compared unregulated Bitcoin trading to Hawala, an illegal money transfer system, emphasizing its informal and opaque nature.
- The Court highlighted challenges faced by law enforcement in proving and tracing crypto assets without statutory definitions or guidelines.
- Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati has promised to provide the government's updated position on cryptocurrency regulation by July 2025.
- India currently taxes cryptocurrency profits at 30% and imposes a 1% TDS, but digital assets remain neither recognized as legal tender nor banned outright.