The Enforcement Directorate raided CoinDCX and Delta Exchange on 4 and 5 November over unauthorised international crypto transactions. The agency found evidence of large-scale FEMA violations involving derivative trading and tokenised stocks. These platforms used stablecoins to move thousands of crores abroad, bypassing rules set under the 1999 law.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that the agency has uncovered evidence for unauthorised international transactions of cryptocurrencies in a series of raids conducted in Bengaluru. According to the ED, the raids were carried out on 4 and 5 November at three premises linked to cryptocurrency platforms CoinDCX and Delta Exchange over allegations of unauthorised cross-border financial transactions in derivative trading in crypto tokens and Real World Asset (RWA) tokens.

Not authorised for Futures and Options and trading

The investigation was initiated based on information alleging large-scale FEMA violations by Neblio Technologies Private Limited, which operates CoinDCX in India, and Excelium Technologies Private Limited, which operates Delta Exchange.

According to the ED, the two platforms were offering products such as derivative trading in crypto tokens, ie. Futures and Options and trading in RWA tokens. These platforms were openly advertising trading in tokenised stocks of foreign entities despite not being authorised to do so.

Using stablecoins for derivative trading

The ED further noted that these platforms were using stablecoins such as USDT to undertake derivative trading and tokenised stock trading in foreign-based crypto trading platforms such as Binance, KuCoin, Gate.io, and Bybit etc.

Search operations in CoinDCX revealed that the platform is offering spot trading in Crypto, Trading in Futures and options in Crypto tokens, and trading in tokenised stocks of foreign companies, the ED said in a release.

The evidence gathered during the search revealed large-scale contraventions of FEMA, 1999 in the above products of the platform.

Unauthorised transactions of hundreds of crores

According to the ED, CoinDCX is paying hundreds of crores of rupees to foreign based crypto trading platforms as transaction fees, which are their business expenses. However, such transaction fee payments are routed in stable coins such as USDT in contravention of the framework envisaged under FEMA, 1999.

On Delta Exchange India, the ED noted that a large volume of its derivative trading was being routed through CoinDCX. The volume of such cross-border transactions was revealed to be in several thousand crores of rupees.

The search operations also revealed that hundreds of crores are being transferred by Delta Exchange India to its associate entities located in foreign countries, which is under investigation.

The search operations also revealed that the fintech products offered by these platforms are prima facie found to be contrary to norms laid down in the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, SEBI Act, 1992, RBI Act, 1934, etc.