ZebPay Launches CryptoPacks for Thematic Investing

The shift mirrors a broader move in global asset management. BNP Paribas Asset Management’s 2025 Thematics Barometer found 71% of intermediary investors and 31% of institutional investors were using thematic investing, while global thematic ETFs drew a record $43.99 billion of net inflows in July 2026, according to ETFGI. In traditional markets, the appeal is the same as in crypto: investors want exposure to structural ideas, not just individual securities. In digital assets, where the ecosystem now spans blockchain infrastructure, decentralised finance, tokenisation and artificial intelligence, that preference has become easier to package.

For Indian investors, that packaging is important because crypto remains dauntingly complex. A thematic wrapper can make the asset class feel more accessible at a time when many users are wary of choosing individual coins without deep technical knowledge. It also changes the economics for exchanges. Bundled products can increase user retention, raise average ticket sizes and reduce the research burden that often keeps casual investors on the sidelines. The rebalancing feature in CryptoPacks is part of that pitch: it keeps a portfolio aligned with its stated theme even when one holding runs far ahead of the others, a useful safeguard in a market where dispersion is extreme.

The appeal is clearest in the pack names themselves — Solana and Bitcoin ecosystems, AI Alpha, Metaverse and Ultimate Alts of Tomorrow — which reflect how investors increasingly think in narratives rather than tickers. That is a meaningful commercial development for Indian crypto platforms because it suggests demand is maturing beyond the simple “buy Bitcoin or don’t” decision. It also gives exchanges a way to compete on product design rather than only on fees or liquidity.

There are risks. Thematic investing can concentrate exposures just as easily as it diversifies them if a popular story becomes crowded or if one sector unravels. Crypto’s recent history has also shown that investor enthusiasm can reverse quickly when security or market structure is questioned. A historic cyberattack on Binance, which halted trading and hit confidence across the market, is a reminder that the ecosystem still carries operational and regulatory risks that can overwhelm even well-marketed themes.

Still, the direction of travel is clear: in India, crypto is being sold less as a collection of speculative tokens and more as a portfolio of investable stories. If that model gains traction, the winners are likely to be platforms that can turn narratives into disciplined products, while standalone coins and less differentiated exchanges may find it harder to stand out.