Most of Coinbase’s 2025 law enforcement requests came from outside the US

Coinbase just dropped its annual transparency report — and the numbers are wild. The crypto giant got 12,716 law enforcement requests globally from Oct 2024 to Sept 2025. That's a 19% jump from last year. Translation: cops worldwide are getting way more interested in your crypto moves.

Here's the kicker: 53% of those requests came from outside the US. Yeah, more than half. But the US still dominates individual countries with 5,444 requests — keeping its #1 spot since 2022. The top 6 countries (US, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Australia) account for 80% of all requests.

Coinbase says these weren't casual asks — we're talking subpoenas, court orders, search warrants, and other formal legal processes. The company admits users might be sweating about privacy, but they've got "an obligation to respond to these requests if they are valid under laws applicable to us."

Meanwhile, Coinbase's DC connections keep growing. CEO Brian Armstrong has been haunting the Capitol building lately, and a Coinbase rep even showed up at a White House fundraising dinner in October. Cozy.

Speaking of DC connections — Jerome Powell's term as Fed chair ends in May 2026. Prediction markets like Polymarket are betting on Kevin Hassett, Trump's economic adviser and former member of Coinbase's advisory council. Imagine a crypto-friendly Fed chair. Game changer.