Exchange operator Kraken said it is facing an extortion attempt linked to two separate incidents involving improper access to limited client support data, adding that no systems were breached and no funds were at risk.
Kraken Faces Extortion Attempt Tied to Insider Data Access
13 April 2026 - 21:08 CEST
By Ana Pereira
In a statement released on 13 Apr, Kraken's chief security officer, Nicholas Percoco, said the exchange identified and shut down two cases in which internal support staff accessed client data without authorization. The incidents, which occurred months apart, affected roughly 2,000 accounts or about 0.02% of its user base.
The company said both individuals were quickly identified and removed, with access revoked immediately and affected clients notified.
Insider incidents
The first case dates back to February 2025, when Kraken said it received a tip about a video circulating on a criminal forum that appeared to show access to its support systems. An internal investigation linked the activity to a member of its support team.
A second, similar incident was identified more recently after the company received another tip and video showing similar behavior. Kraken said it again moved to terminate access and launch a full investigation.
The company said exposure was limited to client support data and did not involve account access or custody systems.
"We will not pay these criminals; we will not ever negotiate with bad actors," Percoco said on 13 Apr, adding that Kraken is working with law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions and believes there is sufficient evidence to identify and arrest those involved.
Social threats
Crypto-related attacks are increasingly driven by operational compromise rather than direct protocol exploits, according to data from TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence company.
"The dominant 2025 pattern was therefore operational compromise, often enabled by social engineering, developer environment penetration, or weaknesses in access controls and withdrawal governance," the firm said in its 2026 Crypto Crime Report.
The shift comes as overall illicit activity continues to expand. TRM Labs estimates total illicit crypto volume reached $158bn in 2025, up nearly 145% from the previous year.
