Swiss Bitcoin Service Pocket Bitcoin Exposes Over 5,400 Users' Personal Data

A Swiss-based Bitcoin trading service called Pocket Bitcoin has disclosed a data breach affecting more than 5,400 users. According to the report, personal data from more than 5,400 users was exposed last month, including email addresses, customer inquiry records, and bank transfer-related details.

For some customers, copies of identification documents, residential addresses, proof-of-funds materials, and Bitcoin addresses used in transactions were also exposed. Pocket Bitcoin said the categories of compromised personal data differed by user, and affected customers were notified individually about the specific items involved.

The company detected the attack on August 16 and blocked the hacker's access to its systems. It then confirmed on August 19 that personal information stored in its internal database had been copied. However, users' Bitcoin and private keys were not compromised, as Pocket Bitcoin operates as a non-custodial service and does not hold customer assets or private keys.

Pocket Bitcoin said it had fixed the vulnerability and implemented additional security measures. It also completed a forensic investigation and reported the incident to Switzerland's federal data protection authority. So far, no evidence has emerged that the leaked personal data has been used for crimes or other malicious purposes.