India’s Financial Intelligence Unit has officially registered 28 Virtual Digital Assets and crypto service providers.
The news comes as confirmed by Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Finance, in a parliamentary discourse.
This move also follows the Indian Finance Ministry’s March mandate, requiring crypto businesses to align with the Financial Intelligence Unit, an entity pivotal in combating money laundering. The directive necessitates these businesses to adhere to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), mandating stringent verification processes like Know Your Customer protocols.
A noteworthy aspect of the ministry’s response is its extension of these guidelines to offshore crypto exchanges catering to the Indian market, emphasizing that non-compliance will invite action under the PMLA.
Despite the registration of prominent exchanges like CoinDCX, WazirX and CoinSwitch, none of the 28 registered entities are offshore companies.