Coinbase says analytics vendor exposed customer contact data

Coinbase insists it has not had a data breach. Still, it said Oct. 28 that contact data for a 'small subset' of its customers was exposed through Amplitude. Amplitude is an analytics vendor that helps companies study how people use their apps. Coinbase says it found no evidence of unauthorized access to its own systems. It says customer funds were not impacted.

Coinbase says Amplitude's incident affected other Amplitude customers too. The line Coinbase draws is real. Its own systems were not accessed, as far as it can tell. But the data still left through a company Coinbase chose to trust. For customers, that distinction matters less than what leaked. Contact details can help scammers target people. The claim that funds are safe is Coinbase's own. We haven't seen an independent check.

Keep reading — what to watch

Will Coinbase say how many customers were hit? So far it has only called the group a 'small subset.' Which contact details were exposed matters too. Watch whether Coinbase or Amplitude publishes more. Until then, treat unexpected messages that mention Coinbase with care.