Is Bitfinex available in India?

Is the platform available to residents

As of June 2026 Bitfinex is not available to residents of India through an officially registered service, and its website was ordered blocked in the country. On 28 December 2023 the Financial Intelligence Unit India issued show cause notices to nine offshore virtual digital asset platforms, including Bitfinex, for operating without registering as reporting entities, and it asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block their access in India.

Some of the platforms that received notices, such as Binance and KuCoin, later registered with the unit and resumed operations after paying penalties. Bitfinex does not appear among the offshore providers that have registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit India as of June 2026, so its position in the country remains restricted.

The regulator and the framework

In India virtual digital asset service providers must register with the Financial Intelligence Unit India as reporting entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which brought the sector within the anti money laundering rules in March 2023. The unit can issue notices and ask for the access of non compliant offshore platforms to be blocked (as of June 2026).

Holding and trading crypto is not banned for individuals in India, but the sector is supervised through this anti money laundering registration regime and is taxed, and there is no separate licensing law for exchanges beyond it as of June 2026. Because Bitfinex is not registered with the unit and its access was ordered blocked, it is not a compliant route for residents. Confirm the current position with the Financial Intelligence Unit India before acting.

What this means for residents

Residents cannot rely on an officially registered Bitfinex service in India as of June 2026, and the platform's access was ordered blocked. There is no compliant local on ramp or product set described for users in India.

Residents who want to buy, sell, or hold crypto should use a platform that is registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit India. See the page on the best exchanges in India for providers that have registered, since the list changes over time.

Tax treatment

Tax on virtual digital assets in India is administered by the Income Tax Department. Gains on the transfer of virtual digital assets are taxed at a flat rate of 30 percent, plus the applicable surcharge and cess, and a tax of 1 percent is deducted at source on transfers above set thresholds. This page does not give tax advice. For how crypto is treated in India in general terms, see the India tax page, and confirm your own position with a qualified local professional before filing.

Regulator and sources

The relevant authority is the Financial Intelligence Unit India, with the Income Tax Department responsible for tax.

• Financial Intelligence Unit India, its December 2023 show cause notices to nine offshore virtual digital asset platforms, including Bitfinex, and its request to block their access.
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the blocking of the websites of the named offshore platforms.
• Financial Intelligence Unit India, its reporting on virtual digital asset service providers registered as reporting entities, which does not list Bitfinex among the offshore registrants.
• Income Tax Department of India, the provisions taxing virtual digital assets at 30 percent with a 1 percent deduction at source.

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