Crypto trends: Indian investors stick with Bitcoin, Ethereum as Ripple tops trading volumes

Despite the emergence of various new crypto coins, Indian investors favour established digital assets for long-term investment, with Bitcoin (6.9%), Dogecoin (DOGE) (6.6%), and Ethereum (5.2%) leading most-held assets. Other top holdings include Shiba Inu (4.2%) and Ripple (3.5%), reflecting investor trust in recognised coins.

New crypto coins like Cardano (3.3%), Polygon (2.9%), Internet Computer (2.8%), and Solana (2.3%) have also retained positions in the top 10 since December 2024, the Q1 2025 Crypto Investment Trends report by homegrown crypto exchange CoinSwitch says.

The report shows that despite the growing interest in established players, there is a slight shift towards emerging assets like PEPE (1.9%), which replaced Loopring in the top 10.

When it comes to trading, data reveals a major shift, with Ripple (XRP) topping the list as the most traded asset at 13.3% of total trading activity, replacing Shiba Inu. Bitcoin (8.4%) and Dogecoin (6.4%) follow, which is a sign of the dominance of established crypto in India’s trading landscape. Other high-activity assets include Solana (5.6%), Ethereum (4.4%), PEPE (3.1%), Shiba Inu (2.6%), and Cardano (2.5%), reflecting a blend of blue-chip assets and speculative plays.

POPCAT's (1.6%) entry into the top 10 traded assets, while BONK's (1.1%) drop from sixth to the bottom of the list highlights the dynamic nature of Indian crypto traders.

The year 2024 was a landmark year for crypto globally, with the new US administration really pushing hard to bring crypto into the mainstream. Experts believe in India, too, that there’s a shift in how investors are engaging with the market.

"Bitcoin still holds its spot as a long-term favourite, and we’re seeing coins like Ripple and Solana surge in trading activity—likely driven by recent global developments. Additionally, meme coins like PEPE and BONK are gaining traction, especially among young investors who are open to high-risk, high-reward opportunities. It’s a reflection of how fast evolving and layered the Indian crypto community is becoming,” says Balaji Srihari, Vice President, CoinSwitch.

The crypto industry has seen phenomenal growth since Donald Trump came to power in the US. His push towards bringing crypto into the mainstream has led to various nations rethinking their strategy around the adoption of digital assets.

Global asset management firm Bernstein has projected the overall crypto m-cap could rise three times to $7.5 trillion by the end of 2025 from $2.77 trillion currently. "We expect total crypto market cap to reach $7.5 trillion by 2025 vs. $2.6 trillion today, led by Bitcoin ($3 trillion by 2025), Ethereum ecosystem ($1.8 trillion by 2025) and leading blockchains, e.g. Solana, Avax, etc. ($1.4 trillion by 2025),"Bernstein analysts said in a client note in March 2025.

Coinbase Ventures, Tiger Global, and Sequoia Capital India-backed CoinSwitch, which enables crypto trading for retail and professional investors, claims to have over 2 crore users.