Leading American crypto exchange, Coinbase, disclosed a notable increase in law‑enforcement data requests in its latest transparency report covering the period from October 2024 to September 2025.

Surge in Global Data Requests

  • Coinbase received 12,716 formal law‑enforcement requests in the 12‑month period — a 19% increase compared with the prior year.

  • Significantly, 53% of those requests originated from outside the United States – marking a rising trend of international scrutiny.

  • Nonetheless, a handful of countries still dominate absolute numbers: the U.S, Germany, the U.K, France, Spain and Australia accounted for around 80% of the total request volume.

According to Coinbase, most requests stemmed from criminal‑enforcement matters – including subpoenas, court orders and search warrants.

The exchange noted that while some users may worry about data privacy, it is legally obligated to comply with valid requests under applicable laws.

The fact that over half of global requests come from outside the U.S underscores how law‑enforcement activity in crypto is no longer just a U.S. phenomenon. For users in Africa and other regions, this suggests heightened global regulatory interest in crypto‑linked transactions and data.

As exchanges expand globally and serve more jurisdictions, they are increasingly subject to data‑sharing demands from multiple governments – which may raise privacy concerns for users in jurisdictions with less robust data‑protection frameworks.

This development also highlights the growing importance of local regulatory clarity for African crypto users and regulators – to ensure that legitimate crypto activity isn’t swept up in broad enforcement efforts.

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Some of the African countries affected by this restriction include:

* Nigeria * Egypt * Zimbabwe https://t.co/TRdefJij3X pic.twitter.com/n948MHaKki

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) November 4, 2025

Coinbase emphasizes that it only complies with legally valid requests, adhering to applicable laws, but the growing volume – and especially the rising share of non‑US requests – reflects a broader trend: crypto platforms are under growing global pressure to cooperate with law‑enforcement authorities.

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For the global crypto ecosystem, this could drive:

  • Greater standardization of compliance protocols, as exchanges balance legal obligations with user privacy.

  • Increased scrutiny on cross-border flows of crypto, which could affect remittances, international transfers, and global DeFi usage – all relevant to African markets.

  • Regulatory spill‑over effects, where policies shaped in major jurisdictions may influence regulation in emerging crypto markets, including those in Africa.

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Stay tuned to BitKE for deeper insights into the evolving global regulatory crypto space.

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