Massive Driver's License Leak Exposes KYC Backlash in Crypto Community
A massive leak of driver's licenses has been discovered on a dark web platform called Nexus. According to cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, 153 million records from U.S. and Canadian citizens are being sold, including 10 million identification cards, 3.3 million travel documents and passports, and 579,000 medical cards.
The leak includes both front and back shots of driver's licenses, as well as infrared and ultraviolet versions. The platform even claims to have U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's identification for sale. Krebs verified the authenticity of these scans with individuals' permission, confirming that real people were affected.
The incident has sparked an explosive backlash against Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations in the crypto community. Erik Voorhees, founder of Shapeshift, slammed KYC as a 'bullsh** scam' that endangers innocent people to make regulators feel valuable. Threat researcher Zach Edwards called the breach unprecedented and created legitimate national security risks for high-profile individuals.
The New Orleans field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an official inquiry into the source of the images, but no definitive answer has been disclosed yet. Millions of Americans and Canadians are left waiting for answers about the leak and its impact on their personal data.