Getting started, answered.

No. A Crypto Index is a curated basket of digital assets, weighted on a methodology and rebalanced on a schedule. You hold the basket, not the individual coins, and you do not need to understand wallets or blockchains to own one.

Most crypto apps are built for constant activity. Qatobit is built for holding. The suite is designed around long-term portfolio construction: four QSI Crypto Indices designed and rebalanced by Qatobit, Crypto SIP, and Qai. The methodology behind each index is published, and Proof of Reserves is available at any time.

Directly to and from your linked Indian bank account, by bank transfer (NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS). ₹200 minimum on either side, with no deposit or withdrawal fee.

Yes. KYC is mandatory on every regulated crypto platform in India. You need a PAN card, an Aadhaar number, and a bank account in your name. The digital KYC flow on Qatobit typically clears in minutes. Without KYC, you cannot deposit INR or make any crypto purchase.

The full process from sign-up to first purchase is typically under 15 minutes if KYC verification clears on the first attempt. The Bitcoin purchase itself takes seconds once the INR deposit is in your account. INR deposits via bank transfer typically reflect within minutes.

The safest path is a platform that meets all five selection criteria: a published custody architecture (Live Proof of Reserves is the highest standard), a current third-party security audit (CERT-In or equivalent), a transparent fee structure, Schedule VDA-ready tax reporting, and the platform's compliance registration under India's PMLA framework. After the purchase, the long-term security can be improved further by moving the Bitcoin to a hardware wallet you control (self-custody) for the portion of the position you do not intend to transact. The combined setup (regulated platform for the operational layer plus self-custody for long-term storage) is the structurally strongest configuration.

Apply the five criteria: custody architecture (Live Proof of Reserves preferred), operational security (CERT-In audit), fee transparency (published structure), tax reporting (automated TDS and Schedule VDA-compatible exports), and the platform's compliance registration. A platform that scores on all five is operationally sound and provides the post-purchase support the investor needs across the holding period. A platform that misses one or more of these criteria is structurally weaker, and the investor should evaluate whether the missing capabilities matter for their specific use case.

Institutional thinking typically places the diversifier role for crypto between 1 and 5 percent of total portfolio. For most retail investors starting an allocation in India, 1 to 2 percent is a defensible starting size. The right answer depends on your overall portfolio, your time horizon (ideally three years or more), your existing exposure to volatile assets, and your honest tolerance for severe drawdowns. Consult a qualified financial advisor for advice specific to your circumstances.

There is no universal percentage. Typical satellite allocations in diversified retail portfolios range from 1 to 5 percent of total portfolio value, with the specific number determined by the investor's risk tolerance, time horizon, and crypto conviction. A 1 to 2 percent allocation is common for investors building conviction; 3 to 5 percent is common for investors with established conviction and long horizons; allocations above 5 percent typically reflect high conviction with explicit acknowledgment of the larger volatility contribution to the portfolio.

The framework uses three inputs. Risk tolerance is the behavioural capacity to hold a position through a 50 to 80 percent drawdown without capitulating. Time horizon is the period the allocation is held against; longer horizons absorb crypto's drawdown sequences better than shorter ones. Conviction is the investor's substantive view of crypto as an asset class, built through reading the methodology and trust architecture rather than through price observation. The three inputs together determine the target allocation and the rebalancing band.

No. Crypto and gold have different roles in a portfolio. Gold has historically functioned as a counter-cyclical hedge with low correlation to equity drawdowns and has been a settled asset class in Indian portfolios for decades. Crypto has higher volatility, a shorter price history, and different correlation behavior. A diversified portfolio typically holds both, sized according to their respective roles. Crypto's role is satellite exposure to an emerging asset class; gold's role is structural protection. Replacing one with the other forfeits the role the replaced asset was playing.

The actual allocation grows above the target, potentially breaching the upper rebalancing band. When the band is breached, the rebalancing discipline trims the crypto position back toward target, with the proceeds reallocated to the asset classes that have fallen below their targets. The trim is mechanical, calendar-driven or band-triggered, not based on the investor's read of the market. The discipline produces the counter-cyclical effect at the portfolio level by mechanically selling some strength rather than buying more during the rally. **Disclaimer** Crypto investments are subject to market risk and volatility. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. This is not investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before investing. *Written by [Sneha](/about/team/sneha), Content Strategist, Qatobit Research Team.*

The honest answer is conditional. Crypto belongs in a long-term portfolio if three conditions hold simultaneously: an adequate horizon (typically seven to ten years and beyond), the behavioural capacity to hold through 50 to 80 percent drawdowns without capitulating, and a substantive conviction in the asset class's long-term value proposition. If all three conditions hold, the case is structural. If any one is absent, the case is weak, and the answer should be no until the missing condition is addressed.

The question is conditional on the investor's profile, not on the asset class in the abstract. For an investor with adequate horizon, behavioural capacity, and conviction, crypto has historically been a meaningful return contributor over multi-cycle periods. For an investor for whom one of these conditions does not hold, the asset class's volatility is more likely to produce a realised loss than to support the portfolio's purpose. The asset class is not universally good or bad; its fit depends on the portfolio context.

Long enough that the holding period accommodates the asset class's drawdown-recovery profile. Most retail investors should think in terms of seven to ten years and beyond when allocating to crypto. Shorter horizons face the risk that the holding window coincides with a drawdown without time for the recovery to play out. The horizon question is also the purpose question: crypto allocated against a near-term goal is exposed to drawdown risk the goal cannot absorb, while crypto allocated against a long-horizon goal sits within a window that the asset class's behaviour can fill.

If the retirement horizon is long (15 to 30 years), crypto can play a long-horizon emerging-asset role at a measured allocation size, with the structural disciplines (cadenced building, periodic rebalancing) applied across the long timeline. As the retirement date approaches, the allocation should be reviewed against the shortening horizon; the allocation that made structural sense at 30 years to go may need to be reduced or repositioned as the horizon compresses. Within a few years of retirement, the case for material crypto allocation weakens substantially because the horizon no longer accommodates the asset class's drawdown profile. **Disclaimer** Crypto investments are subject to market risk and volatility. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. This is not investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before investing. *Written by [Rudra](/about/team/rudra), Head of Marketing, Qatobit.*

A crypto index is a curated basket of digital assets, weighted on a methodology and rebalanced on a schedule. You hold the basket itself, with the individual coins sitting inside it, so investing needs no wallet or blockchain knowledge.

The minimum INR deposit is ₹200, and you can buy Bitcoin starting from that amount. You do not need to buy a whole Bitcoin. A small INR amount buys a proportional fraction of a Bitcoin at the current price. Many first-time buyers start with ₹200 to ₹2,000 to test the platform and the process before committing larger amounts.