HIGH SEVERITYCrypto

CoinMarketCap Data Breach

Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence

6.0Severity
3.1MRecords
1Data Fields
2021Year

Impact & Downstream Threats

This breach carries high risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.

Primary downstream threats:
  • Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses

Breach Intelligence

EntityCoinMarketCap
OrganizationPrivate Company • USA
Breach DateOctober 2021
Disclosure44491.0
Records Exposed~3.1M
Attack VectorUnknown
SourceHave I Been Pwned / ObscureIQ intelligence
StatusConfirmed

Executive Summary

During October 2021, 3.1 million email addresses with accounts on the cryptocurrency market capitalisation website CoinMarketCap were discovered being traded on hacking forums. Whilst the email addresses were found to correlate with CoinMarketCap accounts, it's unclear precisely how they were obtained. CoinMarketCap has provided the following statement on the data: "CoinMarketCap has become aware that batches of data have shown up online purporting to be a list of user accounts. While the data lists we have seen are only email addresses (no passwords), we have found a correlation with our subscriber base. We have not found any evidence of a data leak from our own servers — we are actively investigating this issue and will update our subscribers as soon as we have any new information."

About CoinMarketCap

Cryptocurrency market data platform.

Private CompanyUSAcoinmarketcap.com

Data Points Exposed

Verified fields in the released dataset:
Email addresses

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 3.1M records identified in breach intelligence sources.
  • The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.

Recommended Actions

⚠️ Do not assume this is low sensitivity.

Expect Targeted Phishing
Watch for emails referencing this breach. Verify communications through official channels.
Secure Email & Enable MFA
Email compromise is often the first pivot point. Enable multi-factor authentication.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Watch for unauthorized credit applications and suspicious activity.
Check Your Exposure
ObscureIQ clients: this breach is indexed in your profile.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the CoinMarketCap data breach?

In October 2021, CoinMarketCap experienced a data breach that exposed approximately 3.1M records containing personal information.

What data was exposed?

The exposed data includes fields such as email address.

How many records were affected?

Approximately 3.1M records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Protect Yourself

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ObscureIQ Advisory

We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.

If you are:
  • A public-facing individual
  • A high-profile executive
  • A customer of CoinMarketCap
  • Or concerned about credential reuse
Services
AuditsWipesThreat MonitoringTraining

Classification Tags

CryptoEmail

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