Coinbase said its internal blockchain monitoring systems helped UK authorities identify and convict five individuals involved in a kidnapping and robbery case after detecting signs that a customer was acting under duress during the incident.

In a blog post published on 18 May, Coinbase said the case involved a 36-year-old man from Hertfordshire who was allegedly forced to access multiple financial accounts, including his Coinbase account, after being abducted by attackers in east London last year.

According to the exchange, its systems flagged suspicious activity while the crime was still ongoing as the attackers attempted to move funds off the platform.

Coinbase said it immediately contacted UK law enforcement and launched an…