In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, TechCrunch founder and prominent investor Michael Arrington sounded the alarm over the human cost of the recent Coinbase data breach.
According to Arrington, the hack, which reportedly exposed customer home addresses and account balances, poses more than just a financial threat.
“I am a long time investor in and champion of @coinbase,” he wrote. “Something that has to be said though—this hack—which includes home addresses and account balances—will lead to people dying. It probably has already.”
Arrington added that while the estimated financial cost to Coinbase stands at around $400 million in reimbursements, the true cost is far greater. “The human cost, denominated in misery, is much larger,” he said. He also called for criminal accountability for executives at companies that fail to protect sensitive customer data.
“The consequences to companies who do not adequately protect their customer information should include, without limitation, prison time for executives.”
Regulatory Gaps and Corporate Responsibility
Arrington didn’t just criticize Coinbase but also questioned broader regulatory and systemic issues. He pointed the finger at KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations, which require companies to collect identifying information about users.
While these laws seek to reduce money laundering, Arrington argued that they have also created unintended consequences.
“At the government level, they really need to think through KYC regulations,” he said. “What they are really about is tracking the tax donkeys and ensuring that revenue is maximized.”
He warned that the intersection of corporate cost-cutting, weak penalties for data breaches, and overly invasive data collection laws makes future incidents inevitable.
“Combining these KYC laws with corporate profit maximization and lax laws on penalties for hacks like these means these issues will continue to happen,” he warned.
Education Key to Crypto Security
Nic Puckrin, founder of The Coin Bureau and a respected voice in the crypto space, echoed concerns about the growing threat to crypto users, especially as attacks become both more frequent and sophisticated.
“The Coinbase hack is just another in a raft of increasingly more frequent crypto attacks—both virtual and physical,” he said. “There’s still a huge lack of education about crypto security.”
Puckrin emphasized that while more people are investing in crypto, many lack the basic knowledge to protect their assets.
“It’s no use being aware of how quickly crypto prices can fluctuate if you don’t know how to store your assets securely,” he added, calling for exchanges to prioritize user education around best practices and wallet security.
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