Coinbase explores blockchain, cybersecurity, and developer partnerships in Karnataka as it repositions for growth in India’s expanding Web3 ecosystem.
Coinbase, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has taken another significant step toward expanding its presence in India. Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer of Coinbase, met with Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge. Their talks concerned collaboration on the development of blockchain, cybersecurity, and digital skills initiatives.
Coinbase Pushes for Onchain India with Karnataka Partnership
After the meeting, Paul Grewal also acknowledged on X (previously Twitter) that he enjoyed the discussion of the potential of Coinbase to help Karnataka remain a technology leader in the future. He pointed out that technology in the future will be, in more ways than not, an on-chain phenomenon, and that Karnataka is making a leading contribution in creating this future.
Grewal cited potential contributions that Coinbase might make, such as developer tools to make blockchain applications easier to use, cybersecurity collaboration to defend digital ecosystems, and capacity building programs that enable local talent to acquire state-of-the-art skills.
In a parallel post, Minister Priyank Kharge also confirmed the meeting and provided further insights. He has reported the points of the discussion focused on the Coinbase developer platform, where it is interesting to simplify development on blockchains and make it simpler for Indian engineers to create on-chain applications.
He also stressed the shared interests in terms of collaboration in issues of cybersecurity, skill building, and possible incubation. It was also discussed that future joint hackathons should be organized to promote local innovation. Minister Kharge again expressed a high interest in the Karnataka state pursuing research opportunities related to blockchain technology applications in public governance and digital infrastructure ,once again highlighting its increasing importance within the policy environment of the state.
Coinbase Bets on Web3 Talent as India Holds 12% Global Share
This meeting marks an important moment in Coinbase’s broader relationship with India, which has evolved considerably over the years. Between 2017 and 2021, Coinbase took significant steps towards cementing its presence with the country in its vibrant tech sector, making plans to expand its staff numbers in India to more than 1,000 and purchasing the AI start-up Agara.
Related Reading: Rumor: Coinbase Reportedly Plans To Acquire India’s CoinDCX Exchange
The company also invested significantly in local crypto companies like CoinDCX and CoinSwitch Kuber. But soon followed regulatory issues followed. In 2022, Coinbase started trading services in India. However, it had to stop after the Reserve Bank of India raised concerns about using the UPI system.
As of 2023, the company has left the Indian retail market because of the continuous regulatory pressure and the tax on crypto transactions of 30 percent. In 2025, however, Coinbase indicated a course change. The firm reoriented to developer support, policy advocacy, and regulatory compliance after registering with the Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU) in March. This commitment was strengthened when Ms. Grewal was appointed to the State of the U.S.-India Business Council early this year.
The interaction between Coinbase and Karnataka is opportune. India as a state has led the region in regard to blockchain development since 2017, and it makes it optimal to take benefit of Coinbase’s expertise. With the current 12 percent share of the worldwide Web3 developers now held by India and the recent fall of the Indian exchange WazirX, Coinbase has a clear shot at capturing a large white space in the market.
