Global Law Enforcement Scrutiny Rises as Majority of Coinbase's 2025 Requests Originate Abroad
A Surge in Global Scrutiny: Over Half of Coinbase's 12,716 Law Enforcement Requests Now Come From Outside the United States
The landscape of cryptocurrency regulation and oversight entered a new phase in 2025, as revealed by a key transparency report from one of the industry's largest on-ramps. US-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has released its annual transparency report, detailing a significant 19% year-over-year increase in formal requests from law enforcement agencies globally. The most striking data point, however, is not just the volume but the origin: for the period from October 2024 to September 2025, more than half—53%—of all requests originated from outside the United States. This shift underscores a rapidly globalizing enforcement effort targeting the digital asset ecosystem, with major economies like Germany, the UK, France, Spain, and Australia joining the US as the primary sources of legal scrutiny. As crypto matures from a niche interest to a mainstream financial component, this report provides a clear, quantitative window into how governments worldwide are intensifying their gaze.
Decoding the Data: A 19% Surge in Global Law Enforcement Requests
Coinbase reported receiving 12,716 requests from law enforcement agencies globally between October 2024 and September 2025. This figure represents a substantial 19% increase over the volume of requests reported for the 2024 period. The requests encompassed a range of formal legal instruments, including “subpoenas, court orders, search warrants, and other formal legal processes.” According to the exchange, “As in years past, the overwhelming majority of requests we received both globally and in the US were from law enforcement agencies in connection with criminal enforcement matters.”
This consistent year-over-year growth trajectory is notable. It reflects not merely an expansion of cryptocurrency adoption but a parallel and accelerating institutional response. Each request represents a specific investigative procedure, suggesting that law enforcement agencies across dozens of jurisdictions are becoming increasingly adept at tracing funds and identifying entities within blockchain-based systems. The rise indicates that crypto exchanges like Coinbase have become central repositories for information critical to both domestic and international investigations.
The Geographic Shift: Over Half of All Requests Now Originate Abroad
The most significant revelation from the 2025 report is the geographic distribution of these requests. While the United States remains the single largest source by country, the collective weight of international agencies now constitutes the majority. Specifically, 53% of all requests came from outside the United States.
A closer look at the data shows that 80% of all requests originated from just six countries: the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Australia. This concentration highlights that the most active regulatory and enforcement scrutiny is coming from established financial markets with sophisticated legal frameworks. The inclusion of four major European Union nations (Germany, France, Spain) and the UK points to a coordinated or at least parallel approach within Western Europe. Australia’s presence reinforces that this is a trend among advanced economies with significant crypto user bases.
This marks a pivotal evolution from earlier years when US agencies dominated request volumes by a much larger margin. The shift signifies that law enforcement competency in dealing with cryptocurrency-related matters is no longer a US-centric phenomenon but a developed global capability.
The Unwavering Leader: US Agencies and Deepening Government Ties
Despite the growing international share, US-based law enforcement agencies maintained their position as the most prolific source of requests. Coinbase reported receiving 5,444 requests from US-based agencies, consistently the highest among all reporting countries since 2022.
The context surrounding Coinbase’s relationship with the US government has also evolved. The report’s release period coincides with a noted development of closer ties to the US government following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has been a frequent visitor to the Capitol building, and a company representative attended a fundraising dinner at the White House in October 2025.
Furthermore, discussions about future financial regulation intersect with personnel considerations. With Jerome Powell’s term as chair of the US Federal Reserve scheduled to end in May 2026, speculation about his successor has included names linked to the crypto industry. Prediction platforms such as Polymarket have shown favor for Kevin Hassett, Trump’s economic adviser and a former member of Coinbase’s advisory council. These developments suggest that while US law enforcement scrutiny remains high, the dialogue between the industry and policymakers in Washington is also intensifying on multiple fronts.
Compliance in Focus: Coinbase's Obligation to User Privacy and Legal Process
In its report, Coinbase directly addressed the inherent tension between user privacy and legal compliance. The company acknowledged that “users may be concerned about their financial data privacy,” but clarified it had “an obligation to respond to these requests if they are valid under laws applicable to us.”
This statement is crucial for understanding the operational reality for centralized exchanges (CEXs). As licensed entities—especially one with a publicly stated focus on being a “compliant” bridge to the crypto economy—Coinbase is legally bound to adhere to the financial regulations and legal processes of every jurisdiction in which it operates. This includes responding to valid subpoenas and court orders from foreign authorities, often governed by mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) or other international cooperation frameworks.
The process involves rigorous internal teams dedicated to validating each request for legal sufficiency before disclosing any user information. The rising number of requests necessitates significant investment in these compliance and legal operations departments. For users, it reinforces a fundamental principle of using custodial services: while convenient, they inherently introduce third-party risk regarding data disclosure under lawful orders.
Historical Context: Tracing the Trajectory of Enforcement Scrutiny
To fully appreciate the 2025 data, it is instructive to view it as part of a multi-year trend. Since Coinbase began publishing these transparency reports, request volumes have climbed steadily.
- Since 2022: The United States has consistently been the top requesting country.
- 2024 to 2025: The overall request volume grew by 19%, but the proportion from non-US agencies crossed the halfway mark for the first time.
This historical comparison reveals two concurrent trends: absolute growth in total scrutiny and a relative diversification in its geographic sources. Earlier reports were dominated by US agency activity, reflecting both America’s early lead in crypto adoption and its aggressive regulatory posture under bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ). The 2025 report demonstrates that other nations have now built similar—and in aggregate, larger—capacity to initiate these investigations.
The trend mirrors broader global movements toward implementing comprehensive crypto-asset regulatory frameworks, such as the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and ongoing legislative efforts in other G20 nations. As regulatory clarity emerges formally through legislation, enforcement activity through legal requests follows closely behind.
Broader Implications for Crypto Users and Market Participants
The implications of this surge in global law enforcement scrutiny are multifaceted for participants in the cryptocurrency space.
For users of centralized exchanges like Coinbase, it is a stark reminder of the trade-off between regulatory protection and financial privacy. Activity on these platforms is inherently subject to surveillance and disclosure under lawful orders. This reality continues to drive interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and self-custody solutions for users whose priority is censorship resistance and privacy. However, these alternatives come with their own sets of risks regarding security and lack of recourse.
For other exchanges and crypto businesses operating globally, Coinbase’s data serves as an industry benchmark. It signals that robust compliance infrastructure capable of handling thousands of complex international legal requests is no longer optional but a core cost of doing business at scale. It also suggests that regulators worldwide are increasingly sharing information and methodologies.
For lawmakers and regulators themselves, the data validates their growing investment in blockchain analytics and specialized cyber units. The high volume of requests indicates these tools are being actively used in criminal investigations related to fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and sanctions evasion.
Conclusion: A New Era of Globalized Crypto Oversight
Coinbase’s 2025 transparency report marks a definitive milestone: cryptocurrency oversight has become a truly global endeavor. The fact that 53% of law enforcement requests now originate abroad is more than a statistical footnote; it is evidence of institutional maturation on an international scale.
The 19% increase in total volume year-over-year confirms that this scrutiny is intensifying rapidly alongside market growth. While U.S. agencies remain singularly active with 5,444 requests, the collective action from Europe and other allied nations now sets the pace.
For observers and participants in the crypto ecosystem, this report underscores several key themes moving forward:
- Compliance is Paramount: Centralized services will continue to deepen their legal and compliance operations as a central business function.
- Privacy vs. Regulation Debate Intensifies: The conflict between financial privacy ideals and regulatory requirements will remain a central tension.
- Global Coordination is Real: Enforcement actions are increasingly multinational efforts.
- Watch Regulatory Implementation: As frameworks like MiCA come into full effect globally throughout late-2025/2026 , request volumes may see further structural increases from specific regions.
The path ahead will be shaped by how this global enforcement landscape interacts with technological innovation in privacy-preserving protocols and decentralized systems. For now, one reality is clear: for major players like Coinbase operating at the intersection of crypto and traditional finance, navigating an ever-growing web of international legal requests has become part of daily business