As India’s crypto market continues to evolve amid regulatory uncertainty and changing investor behavior, ZebPay has introduced a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)-style feature for crypto, aimed at encouraging disciplined, long-term participation rather than short-term speculation.
In an exclusive interview with CCN, Rahul Pagidipati, CEO of ZebPay, shared why he believes SIP-based investing can change how Indians approach digital assets, why Bitcoin dominates long-term strategies, and how the exchange is addressing education, taxation, and compliance in an increasingly regulated environment.
Pagidipati, a serial entrepreneur and early blockchain investor since 2011, previously co-founded Freedom Health, which was acquired by Anthem in 2018.
Bringing Discipline to a Speculation-Heavy Market
Speaking about how SIPs could shift investor behavior in India, Pagidipati said the model encourages consistency over market timing.
“SIP-style investing has the potential to fundamentally reshape crypto participation in India by encouraging a disciplined, long-term approach rather than short-term speculation. I believe India already understands and trusts the SIP model in traditional finance, and extending this familiar framework to crypto, particularly to long-term assets like Bitcoin, helps investors focus on consistency and conviction over market timing.”
He added that automation reduces emotional decision-making and makes investing more accessible.
“Automated, recurring investments reduce emotional decision-making, making participation more accessible across experience levels, and support healthier investing habits over time. As adoption matures, this shift not only strengthens user engagement and retention but also helps position crypto as a credible, long-term asset class within India’s evolving financial ecosystem.”
Bitcoin Leads SIP Preferences, Reinforcing Store-of-Value Behavior
On whether SIP users are favoring Bitcoin over other assets, Pagidipati said early trends clearly point to Bitcoin dominance.
“Early indicators clearly show that Bitcoin is the preferred choice for SIP-style investing, reinforcing its role as the cornerstone of long-term crypto portfolios.”
He linked this trend to ZebPay’s long-standing positioning around Bitcoin.
“This strongly aligns with our long-standing belief at ZebPay and our positioning as ‘Bitcoin Mein Pro,’ where we have consistently championed Bitcoin as a long-term, store-of-value asset rather than a short-term trade.”
While Bitcoin remains central, he noted that SIPs are not limited to a single asset.
“At the same time, our SIP feature is designed to support systematic investing across a range of other crypto assets as well, giving users the flexibility to extend the same long-term, structured approach beyond Bitcoin as their investment strategy evolves.”
Can Crypto SIPs Become Part of Mainstream Financial Planning?
On whether crypto SIPs could one day resemble mutual fund SIPs in financial planning adoption, Pagidipati sees strong conceptual alignment.
“Crypto SIPs have the potential to play a meaningful role in financial planning by adopting many of the same core principles that have made mutual fund SIPs successful, discipline, consistency, and long-term participation, while remaining tailored to the unique nature of digital assets.”
He said SIPs act as a responsible entry point into crypto.
“For many users, they serve as a structured and responsible entry point into crypto, lowering barriers to participation and reducing the need for constant market monitoring.”
Over time, he expects SIPs to complement traditional investments.
“Rather than being viewed in isolation, they complement existing investment habits, offering users a familiar framework to engage with an emerging asset class in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”
Educating Users About Volatility and Risk
Pagidipati stressed that SIPs do not eliminate risk and that investor education remains a priority.
“While SIPs are designed to promote disciplined, long-term participation, we are very clear that they don’t eliminate market risk or volatility, and this is consistently communicated to our users.”
ZebPay focuses on continuous learning content, he said.
“Education remains a core pillar of our approach, through in-depth blogs, research-driven explainers, and regular learning material that help investors understand market cycles, risk management, and long-term fundamentals, particularly around Bitcoin.”
He added that structured learning programs are also in the pipeline.
“As we continue to scale adoption, we also plan to introduce structured masterclasses and learning initiatives to further strengthen financial awareness.”
Tax Clarity, Compliance and Regulatory Readiness
With India’s strict crypto taxation regime, Pagidipati said transparency on tax treatment is critical for SIP users.
“We communicate that buying crypto through a SIP doesn’t, by itself, trigger a taxable event. However, when crypto acquired via SIP is sold or transferred, it becomes a taxable event, attracting a flat 30% tax on gains under current law, along with 1% TDS on applicable transactions.”
He added that users are educated on reporting requirements and cost calculations.
“We also educate users on accurate cost-basis calculation, mandatory reporting under Schedule VDA, and the fact that crypto losses cannot be offset against gains.”
On compliance, Pagidipati said the SIP feature was built to align with existing AML and FIU rules.
“As a FIU-registered exchange, ZebPay is fully committed to operating within India’s developing regulatory framework and adhering to all Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism guidelines.”
“While there are no specific restrictions on automated crypto investing features like SIPs, we designed our offering to ensure full compliance with existing rules, including rigorous KYC verification and detailed transaction tracking.”
A Step Toward Tokenized Financial Products
Looking ahead, Pagidipati sees SIPs as part of a broader shift toward digital financial infrastructure.
“We view SIP-based crypto investing as an important step in the evolution of India’s digital financial ecosystem.”
He believes structured investing habits could open doors to future blockchain-based products.
“While the focus today remains on long-term investments in assets like Bitcoin and select altcoins, we see this approach as creating a natural pathway for broader tokenized financial products in the future, whether that includes crypto-linked savings, blockchain-based mutual funds, or other innovative structures.”
He concluded by emphasizing responsible adoption.
“Our priority is to ensure users adopt these tools responsibly, so they can confidently engage with the expanding opportunities in India’s crypto and digital finance landscape.”
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