A major Coinbase breach occurred in 2025 with insiders involved. Coinbase responded differently and the extortion failed.
Coinbase, America’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, received an unsolicited email from an unknown threat actor on May 11, 2025. They claimed to possess sensitive information about its customers and demanded a ransom of $20 million.
Before examining the breach, it is interesting to understand how it happened at a public company that spends millions monthly on cybersecurity. In February, blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported increased thefts involving Coinbase users. He blamed aggressive risk models and pointed out Coinbase’s failure to prevent $300 million in yearly losses from social engineering scams.
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