Paul Grewal, the Chief Legal Officer of major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, met with Karnataka's IT Minister Priyank Kharge this week, as the US exchange seeks to expand its role in India's digital infrastructure.
Grewal thanked Kharge on X and expressed hope that Coinbase could further support Karnataka's tech leadership, including tool development, cybersecurity collaboration, and capacity-building programs.
Kharge also mentioned on X that he met with the Coinbase team to discuss how its developer platform can simplify blockchain development and facilitate local government collaboration in cybersecurity.
Karnataka plans to adopt blockchain.
Kharge stated that the Karnataka government is "keen on exploring" blockchain technology for governance and digital public infrastructure.
This meeting comes amid Coinbase's efforts to expand its influence on government services.
Coinbase will return to India.
India has long been unfriendly towards the cryptocurrency industry, but policies seem to be changing. Coinbase had asked its Indian users to withdraw funds by the end of 2023, as it will halt all retail services in India.
Grewal also joined the US-India Business Council Global Committee earlier this year.
Additionally, the Crypto-systems Oversight, Innovation and Strategy (COINS) Bill has been introduced to provide a clearer policy environment for the Indian crypto industry.