{"id":42470,"date":"2026-09-24T13:31:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/?p=42470"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:31:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:31:57","slug":"the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook","title":{"rendered":"The State of Crypto in India: H1 2026 Review &amp; H2 2026 Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#Three_Key_Takeaways\" >Three Key Takeaways:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#Inside_Indias_Crypto_Market_H1_2026\" >Inside India\u2019s Crypto Market: H1 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#FAQs\" >FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#What_is_ZebPays_H1_2026_report_about\" >What is ZebPay\u2019s H1 2026 report about?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#What_were_the_key_crypto_investment_trends_in_India_during_H1_2026\" >What were the key crypto investment trends in India during H1 2026?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#How_did_crypto_participation_evolve_across_age_groups_and_cities_in_H1_2026\" >How did crypto participation evolve across age groups and cities in H1 2026?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#Which_crypto_assets_were_most_prominent_in_H1_2026\" >Which crypto assets were most prominent in H1 2026?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/blog\/the-state-of-crypto-in-india-h1-2026-review-h2-2026-outlook\/#During_H1_2026_what_were_the_most_common_portfolio_preferences_among_ZebPay_users\" >During H1 2026, what were the most common portfolio preferences among ZebPay users?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_Key_Takeaways\"><\/span><strong>Three Key Takeaways:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>120,000+ new users joined ZebPay in H1 2026, with Gen-Z accounting for nearly half of all registrations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities contributed around 62% of new registrations, reflecting broad participation across India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bitcoin generated nearly 4x Ethereum\u2019s trading volume, despite both assets recording the same size of traders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s crypto landscape continued to evolve during H1 2026, with changes in investor behaviour, asset preferences, user demographics, and participation across different regions. To capture these developments, ZebPay has released its first-ever H1 report: <strong><em>The State of Crypto in India: H1 2026 Review &amp; H2 2026 Outlook<\/em><\/strong>. Based on ZebPay\u2019s internal data and insights, the report examines how users traded, invested, and engaged with digital assets during the first six months of 2026. The report provides a data-led view of India\u2019s evolving crypto landscape, covering user growth, investor behaviour, portfolio preferences, trading activity, demographics, and participation across different city tiers, while also highlighting key themes to watch in H2 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inside_Indias_Crypto_Market_H1_2026\"><\/span><strong>Inside India\u2019s Crypto Market: H1 2026<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Theme<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Highlights<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>User Growth<\/strong><\/td><td>120,000+ new users joined ZebPay during H1 2026, reflecting continued interest in crypto investing.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Accumulation Trend&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td>Indian users bought around 7% more crypto than they sold during H1 2026, reflecting a broader preference for accumulation.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Age &amp; City<\/strong><\/td><td>Gen-Z led new user growth, with the 18-24 age group accounting for nearly 50% of registrations. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities together contributed around 62% of new registrations.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Geographic Distribution<\/strong><\/td><td>The top 10 states accounted for nearly 67% of all registrations, highlighting the concentration of user acquisition across key markets.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Gender Demographics<\/strong><\/td><td>The registered user base was predominantly male at 82%, while female users accounted for 10% and 8% were categorised as Other\/Not Captured.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Platform Engagement<\/strong><\/td><td>Around 85% of active users participated in spot markets, while nearly 72% used two or more platform features.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bitcoin &amp; Ethereum&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td>Bitcoin generated nearly 4x Ethereum\u2019s trading volume, despite both assets attracting a similar number of traders, indicating larger average trading positions in BTC.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Trading Preferences<\/strong><\/td><td>USDT remained the dominant trading pair. Furthermore, Layer-1 assets accounted for nearly 90% of categorised trading volume, with Bitcoin contributing around half of the category\u2019s volume.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Long-Term Engagement&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td>Users active across all six months generated around 21x the trading volume of users active for only one month.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Portfolio Preferences<\/strong><\/td><td>Bitcoin Maximalists formed the largest portfolio segment at 30%, followed by Legacy Altcoin Holders (17.3%) and Diversified Explorers (15%), forming the top 3 investor archetypes.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first half of 2026 provides a useful starting point for understanding where India\u2019s digital asset ecosystem stands today. As the market continues to mature, the focus is likely to move beyond participation towards deeper engagement, informed decision-making, and evolving investment approaches. H1 2026 offers a foundation for tracking these developments over time. With the second half of the year underway, the coming months will provide further perspective on how India\u2019s digital asset landscape continues to take shape.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Note: <\/em><\/strong><em>The insights presented in this report are based on ZebPay\u2019s internal data and reflect user activity observed on the platform, during H1 2026. The data offers a snapshot of user behaviour and trends, related to the timeline, and doesn\u2019t represent the broader Indian crypto market.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ZebPay_State_of_Crypto_India_H1_2026_18-2-5_compressed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">READ THE FULL REPORT<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span><strong>FAQs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1790253527927\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_ZebPays_H1_2026_report_about\"><\/span><strong>What is ZebPay\u2019s H1 2026 report about?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>ZebPay\u2019s <strong><em>The State of Crypto in India: H1 2026 Review &amp; H2 2026 Outlook <\/em><\/strong>report examines key trends, behaviours, and patterns observed among users during the first half of 2026, based on ZebPay\u2019s internal platform data and analysis.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1790253872232\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_were_the_key_crypto_investment_trends_in_India_during_H1_2026\"><\/span><strong>What were the key crypto investment trends in India during H1 2026?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> India users bought approximately 7% more crypto than they sold during H1 2026.<br \/><strong>2. <\/strong>Gen-Z recorded the strongest accumulation trend, with buy volumes nearly 10x sell volumes.<br \/><strong>3.<\/strong> Around 85% of active users participated in spot markets.<br \/><strong>4.<\/strong> Bitcoin generated nearly 4x Ethereum\u2019s trading volume, despite a similar number of traders.<br \/><strong>5.<\/strong> Bitcoin Maximalists formed the largest portfolio segment at 30%.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1790253928254\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_crypto_participation_evolve_across_age_groups_and_cities_in_H1_2026\"><\/span><strong>How did crypto participation evolve across age groups and cities in H1 2026?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> More than 120,000 new users joined ZebPay during H1 2026.<br \/><strong>2.<\/strong> Users aged 18-24 accounted for nearly 50% of registrations.<br \/><strong>3.<\/strong> The top 10 states accounted for close to 67% of all registrations.<br \/><strong>4.<\/strong> Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities together contributed roughly 62% of new registrations.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1790253988741\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_crypto_assets_were_most_prominent_in_H1_2026\"><\/span><strong>Which crypto assets were most prominent in H1 2026?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><strong>1. <\/strong>USDT remained the leading trading pair, in terms of spot trading activity.<br \/><strong>2.<\/strong> 90% of categorised trading volume came from Layer-1 assets.<br \/><strong>3.<\/strong> Bitcoin accounted for approximately 50% of the trading volume within the Layer-1 category.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1790254058478\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"During_H1_2026_what_were_the_most_common_portfolio_preferences_among_ZebPay_users\"><\/span><strong>During H1 2026, what were the most common portfolio preferences among ZebPay users?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> Bitcoin Maximalists represented 30% of the portfolio segments.<br \/><strong>2.<\/strong> Legacy Altcoin Holders accounted for 17.3%.<br \/><strong>3.<\/strong> Diversified Explorers contributed 15%.<br \/><strong>4.<\/strong> These three groups formed the largest investor archetypes for the time period.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three Key Takeaways: India\u2019s crypto landscape continued to evolve during H1 2026, with changes in investor behaviour, asset preferences, user demographics, and participation across different regions. To capture these developments, ZebPay has released its first-ever H1 report: The State of Crypto in India: H1 2026 Review &amp; H2 2026 Outlook. Based on ZebPay\u2019s internal data [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":42472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude_summary":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[17,79,16,698,22,706,293,704,705,71,283],"class_list":["post-42470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zebpay-announcement","tag-bitcoin","tag-blockchain","tag-crypto","tag-digital-assets","tag-ethereum","tag-h1-2026","tag-investments","tag-layer-1-2","tag-spot-markets","tag-trading","tag-usdt"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42470"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42479,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42470\/revisions\/42479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zebpay.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}