India’s crypto market has evolved beyond early speculation. According to a June survey by Mudrex, over 41% of Indian crypto investors now identify as long-term, buy-and-hold investors. This shift toward long-term ownership brings a critical question: What happens to digital assets when the owner is no longer around to access them?
From Speculation to Long-Term Ownership
Prateek Gupta, Head of Business at Mudrex, noted a generational trend: short-term trading drops steadily with age. Nearly a third of investors aged 18-24 trade short-term, compared to below 8% among those aged 55 and above. “Crypto ownership in India has been shifting from short-term speculation to long-term wealth building,” he said.
The Access Problem
Legal ownership does not guarantee wallet access. “A family can have every legal right to a deceased holder’s assets and still be locked out without the private keys or a registered nominee,” Gupta explained. He urged platforms to build nomination, succession documentation, and estate-planning support directly into the product.
Regulatory Framework Strengthens Investor Confidence
As of mid-2026, 54 Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers are registered with the FIU-IND under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, including major exchanges like CoinDCX, CoinSwitch, Mudrex, ZebPay, WazirX, and Binance. The framework mandates strict KYC, suspicious transaction reporting, and continuous monitoring.
Nomination: A Sign of Maturity
CoinSwitch co-founder Ashish Singhal highlighted the platform’s nomination feature, comparing it to established practices in equities. “Just as nomination is an established practice across equities and other financial assets, crypto ownership needs the same level of preparedness,” he said. The feature allows investors to nominate a person for asset transfer in case of unforeseen circumstances.
What Platforms Must Prioritize
Building trust requires clear nomination processes, simplified documentation for legal heirs, secure key management, transparent communication, and regular audits of custody infrastructure.
Final Words
India’s crypto ecosystem has matured in compliance and investor behavior. The next phase hinges on solving the succession puzzle. Platforms that build robust nomination systems and transparent custody practices will earn deeper investor confidence.