TLDR
- Amazon Web Services outage on October 20, 2025 disrupted Coinbase and global platforms for most of the day
- Cloud computing malfunction affected crypto exchanges, banking services, streaming apps, and social media
- Outage started early Monday morning and lasted until 6 p.m. Eastern time
- AWS infrastructure supports millions of websites including major crypto platforms
- Recovery confirmed by evening with all systems returning to normal operations
A major Amazon Web Services outage on October 20, 2025 left Coinbase users unable to access the crypto exchange for hours. The disruption affected platforms worldwide that rely on AWS cloud infrastructure.
The outage began early Monday morning and persisted throughout the day. Coinbase was among the crypto platforms that experienced downtime during the incident.
AWS provides cloud computing services to millions of organizations globally. The infrastructure failure demonstrated how dependent modern platforms are on these services.
Impact on Crypto and Financial Services
Coinbase users found themselves locked out of their accounts during trading hours. The exchange relies on AWS infrastructure to operate its platform.
Other financial services also experienced problems during the outage. Lloyds, Bank of Scotland, and Halifax banking customers reported access issues.
Venmo users were unable to process payments during the disruption. The payment platform depends on AWS cloud services for its operations.
The outage extended beyond financial services to affect entertainment and communication platforms. Snapchat, Roblox, Zoom, Hulu, and Starbucks mobile ordering all went down.
HMRC in the United Kingdom also faced service interruptions. Government agencies are among the many organizations that use AWS infrastructure.
Recovery Timeline and Resolution
AWS began working on the problem about three hours after the outage started. The company provided updates through its health status dashboard.
Amazon identified the root cause as a malfunction in its cloud computing division. The tech company worked throughout the day to restore services.
Downdetector tracked user reports of AWS problems during the incident. Reports began declining as systems came back online.
Cybersecurity expert Mike Chapple commented on the recovery process. He described it as slow and bumpy but normal for an outage of this scale.
AWS confirmed services returned to normal operations by 6 p.m. Eastern time. The company posted the update on its official health website.
The Associated Press is among the organizations that use AWS services. Universities, government departments, and businesses worldwide depend on the infrastructure.
Companies began assessing damages after the outage ended. The incident highlighted the risks of relying on centralized cloud providers.
Crypto traders on Coinbase experienced hours of downtime during active trading periods. The exchange was inaccessible for most of the business day.
The outage affected services across multiple industries simultaneously. Gaming platforms, streaming services, and social media sites all experienced disruptions.
AWS handles cloud computing for some of the world’s largest organizations. The infrastructure supports operations for countless websites and applications.
Amazon resolved all technical issues by Monday evening. Systems were functioning normally across all AWS services by the end of October 20.