Don't buy crypto in India: Radhika Gupta's blunt advice to investors

Asked whether investors should consider cryptocurrency as a way of creating wealth, Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, had a three-word answer:

“Don't buy crypto.”

Speaking at the India Today Woman Summit 2026, Gupta said her concern was not necessarily with crypto as an asset class globally. Her objection was specifically to investing in crypto in India, where she argued that investors could face problems if things went wrong.

“I have no problem with crypto. I have a problem with crypto in India,” she said.

DON’T INVEST IN WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

Gupta's first warning was a familiar one: investors should not put their money into products they do not understand.

She recalled an incident involving an uncle who wanted to buy crypto. When she asked him why, he could not explain why he wanted to invest in it.

That, according to Gupta, is itself a red flag.

Her advice is particularly relevant when an investment becomes popular because everyone else appears to be making money from it. Popularity does not necessarily mean an investor understands the underlying asset, the risks involved or what could happen when markets turn.

“Don't buy things you don't understand,” she said.

WHY HER ANSWER COULD BE DIFFERENT IN THE US