BITCOIN TRADE MAY COME UNDER SEBI

Indian government is considering the introduction of a regulatory regime for virtual or crypto currencies, such as Bitcoin, that would enable the levy of the Goods and Services Tax on their sale.

There are multiple such currencies — bitcoin, ethereum, ripple are some of the popular ones. Currently, they are neither illegal nor legal in India. “One bitcoin today is worth as much as 60 grams of gold. The market cap for all cryptocurrencies has just crossed $100 billion, with most of the increase coming in the past few months. On April 1, 2017, the total market cap was just over $25 billion, representing a 300% rise in just over 60 days. Therefore a regulatory framework is needed for it.

Government proposal

The government is now considering the new regime which may possibly bring BITCOINS trading under the oversight of the stock market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Why bitcoins are a bit risky ?

Bitcoins were in the news recently when during the two global cyber ransomware attacks — WannaCry and Petya — attackers sought about $300 in bitcoin as ransom. Crypto-currency can also be used for a lot of legal activities — such as booking tickets, buying coffee or fast food, depending of which retailers accept such currency.