The group extorting Kraken is claiming access to some client account 
information after two insider incidents involving customer support staff. 
Kraken’s Extortion Plot: An Insider-Play Yesterday, on a post on the social 
network X, Nick Percoco, Kraken’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), made public 
that a criminal group is extorting the crypto exchange with threats to release 
videos of their systems exposing client data. Kraken Security Update We are 
currently being extorted by a criminal group threatening to release videos of 
our internal systems with client data shown if we do not comply with their 
demands. It’s important to start with the most important points: our systems 
were never… — Nick Percoco (@c7five) April 13, 2026 Now, according to 
Bloomberg, the incident is not a classic external hack, but rather an 
insider‑access problem. A small set of customer details, such as names and 
physical addresses, may have been exposed after support employees captured 
photos and videos of internal screens in two separate incidents, one in 2025 
and another earlier this year. Related Reading: Hope For Iran Deal Sparks 
Risk-On Rally, Bitcoin Nears $75K The company has reportedly warned the 
potentially affected clients to be especially cautious about anyone contacting 
them. Bloomberg’s source is a “person familiar with the matter who declined to 
be named because the details haven’t been made public”. Around 2,000 accounts 
and roughly 0.02% of users were affected. The exposure is limited to basic 
support data such as names and addresses. Kraken stresses there was no system 
hack and client funds and trading infrastructure remain secure. Kraken has 
openly dismissed the extortion attempt, stating that it “will not pay these 
criminals” and “will not ever negotiate with bad actors”. Percoco’s post 
clarifies that Kraken is working with federal law‑enforcement agencies across 
multiple jurisdictions. and that the CEX has gathered enough evidence to help 
identify those responsible. A Long List Of CEX’s Customer Services 
Vulnerabilities Although it may sound rather specific, this is not the first 
time a big CEX is hit with an insider-access problem that vulnerates customers 
data through the costumer service of the exchange. It’s not even Kraken’s 
first rodeo with this sort of issue. Back in January, Dark Web Informer 
reported that a read-only version of Kraken’s internal customer support system 
was being sold for a negotiable single dollar on a dark web forum. 🚨🦑 Kraken 
cryptocurrency exchange panel access being sold on a dark web forum &#8211; read- 
only account with user profiles and transaction history. Access details: ▪️ 
View only &#8211; user profiles and transaction history ▪️ Generate support tickets 
to phish or extract more data ▪️ No… pic.twitter.com/7LsxRNMkYa — Dark Web 
Informer (@DarkWebInformer) January 1, 2026 Also in mid-2025, Kraken and 
Binance were hit by the same social‑engineering push that previously led to a 
successful customer data breach at Coinbase, where attackers zeroed in on 
support staff. The attackers allegedly approached customer service agents at 
the exchanges and offered bribes in return for access to user information. Our 
sister website Bitcoinist covered the story. This past February, a crypto 
trader claimed an ex‑Revolut staffer tried to blackmail him, threatening to 
expose his personal data unless he paid. Revolut claimed the allegation was 
referred to law‑enforcement authorities. Related Reading: XRP Could Face Big 
Moves Based On CLARITY Act Outcomes – 3 Key Price Scenarios Market 
Implications This incident reinforces a key market theme: in the post‑ETF, 
higher‑regulation cycle, “counterparty risk” on centralized exchanges is 
shifting from pure asset custody to data security and insider controls. While 
no immediate outflows or price shocks are visible, repeated data‑exposure 
headlines can push more flows toward exchanges with stronger transparency 
reports, on‑chain venues, or self‑custody solutions. At the moment of writing, 
BTC trades for the high $71ks on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on 
Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity. BTCUSD chart from Tradingview.

Kraken Extortion Plot Explodes — Should Traders Continue To Trust Exchanges With Their Personal Data?

Deutsche Börse said it will invest $200 million in Kraken’s parent company for 
a fully diluted stake of 1.5%, subject to regulatory approval.

Deutsche Börse invests $200 million in Kraken parent Payward

A wave of forced liquidations swept through crypto markets on Tuesday as 
traders who had bet against Bitcoin and Ether were caught off guard by a sharp 
price surge tied to hopes of a US-Iran agreement. Related Reading: Dollar’s 
Shrinking Value Adds Fuel To XRP Bull Case: Finance Expert Around 80% of the 
$530 million in total liquidations over 24 hours — roughly $425 million — came 
from leveraged short positions in the two largest cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin 
touched just under $75,000 on CoinMarketCap, a level not seen in nearly a 
month, before running into heavy resistance and retreating to about $74,655. 
Ether made an even bigger move, climbing 7% to reach $2,378 — its highest 
point since early February. Geopolitical Hopes Fuel The Move The rally came as 
markets began pricing in the possibility of a negotiated end to weeks of 
tension between Washington and Tehran. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at 
crypto exchange BTSE, said traders believe the two sides are drawing closer to 
an agreement. Iran&#8217;s oil exports are central to its economy, and a US blockade 
of the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane could put severe pressure on the country 
to come to the table. &#8220;Now, it appears that Iran is frantically looking to 
broker a deal, and stock and crypto markets are rallying as a response,&#8221; Mei 
said. US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that a military blockade had 
begun. He threatened to eliminate any Iranian vessels that come near. Trump 
also told reporters Iran wants to reach a deal, but his administration will 
not sign anything that allows Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons. The broader 
crypto market climbed to a total value of $2.6 trillion — its highest in a 
month — as the news spread. About 177,000 traders were liquidated across 
markets over a 24-hour period, according to data from CoinGlass. Not Everyone 
Is Convinced The rapid price jump did not go unquestioned. Valerius Labs, a 
market analyst, pushed back on the idea that the move signals a genuine 
recovery. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t a breakout,&#8221; the firm said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a short squeeze 
running into overhead supply. Real buyers show up above the 200-day simple 
moving average, not 15% below it.&#8221; Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds 
Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event Some analysts reported that over $300 billion 
in crypto short positions were wiped out in just a few hours, adding more than 
$100 billion to the total market cap in the process. Beyond the short squeeze, 
other forces may also be at work. Reports indicate that institutional buying 
through spot crypto exchange-traded funds, along with purchases by centralized 
exchanges, could be adding fuel to Bitcoin&#8217;s climb. Still, the rejection at 
$75,000 resistance kept the bulls from claiming a clean win. Featured image 
from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Hope For Iran Deal Sparks Risk-On Rally, Bitcoin Nears $75K

Crypto&#8217;s current cycle phase suggests a potential market bottom amid 
significant wealth destruction and investor optimism.
The post Michael Nadeau: Wealth destruction phase is reshaping crypto markets, investor sentiment suggests optimism, and understanding cycles is key to strategic investing | Bankless appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Michael Nadeau: Wealth destruction phase is reshaping crypto markets, investor sentiment suggests optimism, and understanding cycles is key to strategic investing | Bankless

Deutsche Brse&#8217;s investment in Kraken signifies a pivotal shift towards 
integrating crypto with traditional finance, potentially reshaping global 
markets.
The post Germany&#8217;s exchange giant Deutsche Börse puts $200M into Kraken parent 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Cryptocurrency price in ILS