A criminal group threatens to release videos containing sensitive customer data from Kraken unless the exchange complies with their demands.
The Kraken exchange publicly disclosed on Sunday, April 13, 2026, an ongoing extortion operation carried out by a criminal group threatening to release videos containing sensitive customer data if the platform does not comply with their demands. The news was shared directly through the company’s official social media channels.
Kraken’s Chief Security Officer, Nick Percoco, stated on X: “We will not pay these criminals; we will never negotiate with those who act in bad faith.” Percoco added: “We are currently being extorted by a criminal group threatening to release videos of our internal systems with customer data displayed if we do not meet their demands.” The exchange is cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities across multiple jurisdictions.
https://x.com/c7five/status/2043720915330969743?s=20
According to Percoco, the matter traces back to a security incident in February 2025, when a video containing customer information had been shared on a “criminal forum.” In both cases, the internal actor involved was identified. No customer funds are considered at risk.
The number of potentially affected individuals is estimated at approximately 2,000 people whose information may have been viewed. All those identified as at risk have already been contacted by the company. The criminals reportedly threatened to share the information with local media and through social networks if Kraken did not give in to their demands. Additional details about the incident are not being disclosed at this time to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.
Kraken had confidentially filed for an IPO in November 2024, only to postpone its plans earlier this year due to difficult market conditions, according to CoinDesk. The exchange is not the only one in the sector to have faced such threats: its publicly listed competitor Coinbase had previously disclosed a data breach affecting more than 69,000 customers in late 2024, caused by customer support employees bribed by criminal actors.
