Coinbase Sees 19% Rise in Government Requests, Led by US
Coinbase reported a 19% year-over-year increase in information requests from government and law enforcement, totaling 12,716 requests between October 2024 and September 2025. Most requests originated from the US, but over half came from other countries, with Germany leading among them.
- The US accounted for 5,920 requests; Germany made 1,210 requests.
- 53% of all requests were from outside the US, up by 2 percentage points from the previous year.
- France saw a notable 111% increase in requests to 1,114.
- The US, Germany, France, the UK, and Australia together made up about 80% of all requests.
- Significant decreases in requests came from South Korea (67%), Sweden (31%), and Germany (5%).
- Moldova, Brazil, and Costa Rica had significant increases in requests.
Globally, 95% of requests were related to criminal matters, while 5% were linked to civil or administrative issues. In the US, 52% of requests concerned federal crime investigations.
Privacy Concerns
The crypto industry's information gathering raises privacy concerns, highlighted by incidents like the breach impacting 69,461 Coinbase users, causing damages exceeding $400 million. This led to increased interest in privacy coins, such as Zcash, which experienced a 1,000% price surge.