- Major data breach involving Coinbase and bribed employees in India.
- Estimated financial losses reach up to $400 million.
- U.S. DOJ launches criminal investigation following this breach.
Coinbase, a major cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a data breach disclosed in May 2025, involving compromised customer data due to bribed support agents in India.
Coinbase’s data breach involved overseas support agents who illegally accessed customer data, leading to extensive losses and scrutiny. The firm estimates losses between $180 million to $400 million.
Indian support agents were bribed to leak data, impacting customers substantially. In response, Coinbase has enhanced internal security measures and addressed customer concerns. Coinbase stands against extortionists to protect customers.
Customer identities, including government IDs, were compromised, causing panic and financial vulnerability. Coinbase’s stock soared 24%, despite the breach, after joining the S&P 500 index. Coinbase Inc. filing report from May 2025.
Amid data theft, Coinbase received an extortion threat for $20 million. The DOJ’s criminal probe could reveal further systemic issues affecting user trust and business operations.
Coinbase’s enhanced security follows internal mishaps and assumes a leading role in restoring customer faith and industry standards.
The breach has prompted historical investments in security systems and support. Future regulatory actions could redefine operational compliance for exchanges, safeguarding investor interests.
“What these attackers were doing was finding Coinbase employees and contractors based in India who were associated with our business process outsourcing or support operations, that kind of thing, and bribing them in order to obtain customer data.” — Philip Martin, Chief Security Officer at Coinbase
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