India's Crypto Shift: 'Bharat' and Women Drive Shift to Long-Term Wealth Creation

Source: CoinEdition Original Title: India’s Crypto Shift: ‘Bharat’ and Women Drive Shift to Long-Term Wealth Creation Original Link: https://coinedition.com/india-crypto-adoption-2025-women-investors-tier-2-cities-surge-coindcx-report/ India’s cryptocurrency market underwent a structural transformation in 2025, evolving from a speculative playground into a cornerstone of long-term wealth planning. New data reveals that domestic investors are increasingly decoupling from the “Bitcoin-only” mindset, embracing diversified strategies that favor fundamental utility over meme-driven hype.

The shift also aligns with broader global regulatory clarity, which helped strengthen investor confidence and encouraged deeper participation. Consequently, India moved closer to aligning its investment ecosystem with international digital-asset standards.

Broader Participation Transforms Portfolio Behavior

Trading volume exceeded ₹51,000 crore for FY25. However, the underlying trend involved a notable shift toward research-driven diversification. Average investors now hold five tokens, reflecting stronger understanding of the differences between asset categories.

Besides Bitcoin, Indian portfolios increasingly include Layer-1 networks, DeFi assets, AI-driven projects, and Layer-2 scaling solutions. Layer-1 tokens captured 43.3% of total volumes, while Bitcoin accounted for 26.5%. Meme assets followed with 11.8%, showing that speculation remained present but no longer dominated investor decisions.

Significantly, metros and non-metros reported sharp increases in activity. Bengaluru recorded a 6.6x jump in Ethereum volumes. Pune achieved tenfold growth and became a major hub for Solana. Mumbai saw traders move more capital into Ethereum than Bitcoin. Moreover, the average investor age rose from 25 to 32, signaling the arrival of older and more financially stable participants.

‘Bharat’ Rising: The Tier-2 Takeover

The most explosive growth is occurring outside the traditional metros. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities now account for 40% of India’s crypto user base, challenging the dominance of Mumbai and Delhi.

• Lucknow saw a 5x surge in Ethereum trading and emerged as a hub for the SUI token.
• Pune recorded a 10x jump in volumes, establishing itself as a “Solana stronghold”.
• Jaipur flipped the script entirely, with Ethereum trading volumes overtaking Bitcoin for the first time.

Women Investors Doubles

2025 also marked a watershed moment for gender diversity. Female participation doubled year-over-year, driven by targeted educational initiatives and simplified onboarding.

Growth was led not just by metros like Kolkata and Delhi, but by emerging hubs such as Bhubaneswar, Kochi, and Vadodara.

Female portfolios reflected a balanced risk appetite, diversifying across blue-chips like Bitcoin and Ethereum as well as altcoins XRP, Cardano, Polygon, Solana, Avalanche, and Decentraland.

Crypto in India 2026 Outlook: The Institutional Phase

Industry leaders frame the data as a signal of market permanence. If 2025 was the year crypto came of age in India, then 2026 will define the next phase of digital finance. As global regulations stabilize, Indian investors will prioritize stability and research-backed asset selection over cyclical volatility.