Coinbase received a record-breaking 12,716 information requests from government and law enforcement agencies between October 2024 and September 2025, a 19% increase from the previous year. According to the exchange’s seventh annual Transparency Report, international requests surpassed domestic ones for the first time, accounting for 53% of the total as the company navigates heightened regulatory pressure across the globe.

International Requests Surge as US Remains Top Source

While the United States continues to be the single largest source of inquiries, a significant rise in international demand highlights a growing global focus on crypto platforms. The U.S., Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Australia collectively made up approximately 80% of all requests.

France led the international surge with a staggering 111% jump in requests for customer data compared to the prior period. The U.K. and Spain also posted significant gains of 16% and 27%, respectively. In contrast, requests from Germany, Sweden, and South Korea decreased, with South Korea’s volume dropping by 67%. Despite these shifts, the total number of requests has remained between 10,000 and 13,000 annually over the last four years.

Compliance and Security Under the Microscope

The increase in data requests comes as Coinbase grapples with recent compliance failures and a major security breach. In November, the exchange’s European division was ordered to pay a €21.5 million fine to Ireland’s Central Bank after coding errors resulted in over $202 billion worth of transactions going unscreened for money laundering between 2021 and 2022.

A year earlier, Coinbase’s U.K. subsidiary was fined £3.5 million by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for onboarding more than 13,000 high-risk customers in violation of a voluntary restriction. Furthermore, in May, the company disclosed a cyberattack that compromised the personal data of at least 69,461 customers after hackers bribed customer service staff. The incident led to multiple class-action lawsuits and a Department of Justice investigation.

Regulatory Pressure Eases in the United States

Despite increased pressure abroad, Coinbase has seen a significant shift in its regulatory environment in the U.S. In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agreed to drop its long-standing enforcement action that had accused the exchange of operating as an unregistered securities platform. This move followed the SEC’s dismissal of similar cases against Kraken, Robinhood, and Consensys.

The change in direction coincided with Paul Atkins replacing Gary Gensler as SEC chair in January. Atkins has pledged to replace the previous administration’s aggressive enforcement tactics with a more collaborative approach that includes advance notices and clearer guidance for crypto firms. In its report, Coinbase reiterated that it reviews every government request individually, pushes back against overly broad demands, and doesn’t grant authorities direct access to its systems.