Topic: [2017-03-26]Low-value Bitcoin Gift Vouchers Bring More Indians into Crypto (Read 99 times)

Low-value Bitcoin Gift Vouchers Bring More Indians into Crypto

At times when the Indian crypto community is dealing with increasingly hostile environment, an initiative is bringing new investors on board. Bitcoin gift vouchers are gaining popularity in India’s IT hub – Hyderabad. A growing number of Indians like the idea of a cheap and low-risk entry into cryptocurrencies.

Buy Your First Satoshis for Just ₹200 INR

Gift vouchers offered at Hyderabad coffee shops are fueling both curiosity and demand for bitcoin. Sold for as little as ₹200 Indian Rupees ($3) they offer an opportunity to enter the cryptocurrency ecosphere with a micro investment that bears virtually no risk. It turns out that more and more Indians buy the vouchers to surprise friends and family or even for themselves.
“I have heard from a few friends about bitcoin and how they have gained a lot. Although they have invested huge amounts, this is only a small sum. Once I learn a little more, I can trade in a big way,” a buyer says, quoted by the Times of India. Cryptocurrency traders demand a huge cut when approached by a potential investor, he adds. His words confirm that bitcoin remains attractive in India, despite the recent market lows and the intensifying institutional clampdown.

Hyderabad, India’s fourth most populous city, has become an industrial and financial hub over the past decades. It is one of the largest contributors to the country’s GDP and has been called the “City of Pearls”, “India’s pharmaceutical capital”, and the “Genome Valley of India”. In recent years Hyderabad has turned into a global hub for information technology, adding another nickname – “Cyberabad“. Leading multinational corporations from the sector have opened offices in the local Hitec City. An estimated 400,000 people are employed by tech companies operating in Hyderabad.

Dropping Trading Volumes

Many of those tach-savvy Indians have invested in cryptocurrencies and others want to get involved. The bitcoin vouchers they are offered have been issued by a local crypto exchange urging you “to buy your first bitcoin”. Trading platforms in India have been experiencing an unprecedented drop in volume over the past few weeks. Representatives of leading exchanges have confirmed that trading has decreased up to 90% in just two months.

Although market volatility has obviously played a role, Indian traders have blamed two other major factors for the low turnover. They have complained about increasing regulatory uncertainty and a widening bank clampdown that have limited opportunities for both cryptocurrency exchanges and individual investors.

While the crypto community is still waiting for a comprehensive legal framework for the sector, officials have acknowledged that adopting effective regulations is proving difficult. At the same time, commercial banks have suspended accounts of bitcoin exchanges and restricted crypto-related transactions of private individuals. Tax authorities are also going after investors, despite the lack of clarity on how to report crypto incomes and profits.

Source : https://news.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-gift-vouchers-bring-more-indians-into-crypto/