Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has reported receiving 10,707 information requests from law enforcement and government agencies worldwide over the past year, marking an 18% decrease compared to the previous year.
The United States maintained its position as the top requester of information for the third straight year, though showing reduced numbers. Several major European markets demonstrated substantial drops in requests, with the UK seeing a 45% reduction, Germany down 33%, and Spain declining by 35%.
In a notable exception to this downward trend, Singapore emerged as an increasingly active jurisdiction with requests surging 221% - from 34 to 109 - reflecting its growing prominence as a cryptocurrency hub.
Six key jurisdictions - the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Australia - accounted for 81% of all requests. The majority of these inquiries related to criminal investigations, including potential fraud and illicit financial activities.
The requests came through various legal channels such as subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants. Coinbase emphasized that each request undergoes thorough review by a specialized team of legal and privacy experts before any information is shared.
While Coinbase may provide basic customer data like names, IP addresses, and payment details when legally required, the company stressed that no government has direct access to its systems. The exchange aims to narrow broad requests and provide anonymized data where possible to protect user privacy while maintaining regulatory compliance.
This transparency report demonstrates Coinbase's ongoing commitment to balance its regulatory obligations with user privacy protection in an evolving cryptocurrency landscape.