Operations with anonymous tokens have been banned in India, 2026/01/23 11:43:40

The Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU) has asked cryptocurrency exchanges and platforms to stop dealing with private tokens like Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC). Legal sites are required to delist these assets.

The regulatory agency explained its position by the fact that cryptocurrencies that maintain the anonymity of the owner can be used in money laundering. In the latest version of its recommendations, FIU states: exchange platforms and intermediary services should exclude the possibility of entering and withdrawing tokens whose functionality is aimed at hiding the source of finance, the identity of the owners or the scale of transactions.  

According to financial intelligence, operations with such assets contradict risk management standards. The regulator is also pushing for stricter oversight of transactions sent to non-custodial wallets. In addition, the FIU called the use of cryptomixers – tools that allow you to bypass control mechanisms and sanctions restrictions – risky. However, there is no direct ban on them in India. 

In October, FIU blocked access to 25 exchanges. The reason is the same the platform is accused of money laundering. 

In mid-January, a ban on private tokens was introduced in Dubai. The emirate authorities also banned the use of cryptomixers and even advertising of private assets and mixing tools. Following Dubai, Thailand set restrictions. From 2027, a similar rule will come into effect in the European Union. Meanwhile, anonymous tokens are gaining more and more popularity due to the fact that traditional cryptocurrencies have begun to move closer to the traditional financial market.