Indian law enforcement authorities have arrested a former Coinbase customer support agent in connection with a large-scale leak of user data. The information was confirmed by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who stated that nearly 70,000 platform users were affected by the incident.
According to preliminary findings, the case does not involve a breach of Coinbase’s core infrastructure, but rather an abuse of internal access. The former support agent, who worked under an outsourcing arrangement, allegedly gained access to sensitive user information and passed it on to third parties. This type of data leak is particularly dangerous for the crypto sector, as even partial user data can be exploited for phishing, social engineering, and targeted attacks against holders of digital assets.
Armstrong emphasized that the company is cooperating with authorities and strengthening oversight of contractors and internal access processes. The incident once again highlights a painful issue for the industry: as crypto exchanges become increasingly institutionalized, the human factor and outsourcing emerge as some of the most significant sources of risk—often more vulnerable than the blockchain infrastructure itself.
