Four major financial institutions, including Coinbase and Bithumb, recently reported data breaches. The incidents exposed contact details such as names, emails, and phone numbers, though funds remain secure. Other affected entities include the Korean firms Mirae Asset and Daishin Securities, with the latter reporting that 38,490 customers were impacted.
Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, issued security recommendations in response to the leaks. He advises users to utilize unique email aliases for every exchange to isolate potential breaches. Zhao also warns against SMS-based two-factor authentication, suggesting hardware keys or authenticator apps instead to prevent SIM swap attacks.
The Binance founder emphasizes that any unsolicited contact regarding security or refunds should be treated as a scam. This follows reports of phishing emails containing real home addresses. Zhao notes that leaked data facilitates social engineering and phishing, which he identifies as a greater risk to users than AI-driven attacks on cryptography.
The security landscape is increasingly volatile, with physical risks rising as attackers combine leaked addresses with balance information. Criminals reportedly stole an estimated $30 million through such methods in the first half of 2026. These recent breaches are part of a broader wave of attacks targeting the Korean financial sector.
