Coinbase's 2025 Transparency Report, released on Monday, reveals that a majority of law enforcement requests originated from outside the United States. The report, which covers the period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, indicates a growing international interest in cryptocurrency-related investigations.
The report shows a 19% year-over-year increase in requests for user information, with Coinbase receiving 12,716 requests from global law enforcement agencies. While the United States remains the most frequent requester, accounting for 53% of the total, the majority – approximately 47% – came from other countries. This marks a roughly 2% increase in requests from outside the U.S. compared to the previous year.
Several countries showed notable increases in their requests to Coinbase. France registered the largest growth, with requests surging 111% compared to the previous year. This increase could be attributed to France's growing regulatory activity in the cryptocurrency space.
Coinbase, which offers services in over 100 countries, emphasized its commitment to user privacy while also adhering to legal obligations. The company stated that it carefully reviews each request for legal sufficiency, ensuring compliance with applicable laws. A dedicated team of experts, including lawyers, analysts, and privacy specialists, scrutinizes each request. Coinbase aims to narrow overly broad or vague requests, reject those deemed legally insufficient, and provide anonymized or aggregated data when possible, protecting individualized customer details.
While Coinbase does provide certain customer details, such as names, IP addresses, and payment information, in response to valid requests, the company maintains that no government has direct access to its systems. This process underscores the balance between safeguarding customer privacy and fulfilling legal responsibilities.
The transparency report also sheds light on the types of investigations driving these requests. The overwhelming majority of requests relate to criminal enforcement matters, such as investigations into illicit financial activities, fraud, and other criminal concerns. These requests take various legal forms, including subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants.
Coinbase's Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, has emphasized the company's commitment to transparency and appropriate responses to law enforcement requests. He stated that Coinbase seeks to narrow or object to overly broad requests to provide a more tailored response.
The increase in law enforcement requests, particularly from outside the U.S., highlights the growing global scrutiny of cryptocurrency activities. As cryptocurrency adoption expands, regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies worldwide are intensifying their efforts to monitor and investigate potential illicit uses of digital assets. This trend underscores the importance of transparency and compliance within the cryptocurrency industry as it navigates an evolving regulatory landscape.
