TLDR
- Amazon Web Services experienced a mass outage on October 20, 2025, affecting websites and platforms globally
- Coinbase was among the crypto platforms impacted by the disruption that lasted most of the day
- The outage also affected Snapchat, Roblox, Zoom, banking services, and other major platforms
- AWS identified and fixed the underlying malfunction in its cloud computing infrastructure
- Services returned to normal operations by 6 p.m. Eastern time on October 20
Amazon Web Services suffered a major outage on October 20, 2025, that disrupted crypto exchanges and platforms worldwide. The disruption affected Coinbase along with numerous other services throughout the day.
The outage began early Monday morning and lasted until approximately 6 p.m. Eastern time. AWS provides cloud computing infrastructure to millions of companies globally.
While @amazon is a monopoly, it’s clear that this is a MAJOR concern when so many companies use @awscloud to function… #AWS #Amazon #outage pic.twitter.com/wmatK2MmOV
— Nick D'Agostino (@realNickDags) October 20, 2025
Coinbase users found themselves unable to access the exchange during the outage. The platform relies on AWS infrastructure like many other major services.
The disruption extended beyond crypto platforms. Snapchat, Roblox, Zoom, Venmo, Hulu, and Starbucks mobile ordering were also affected.
Banking services experienced problems too. Lloyds, Bank of Scotland, and Halifax all reported issues during the outage.
HMRC, the UK tax authority, also faced disruptions. The widespread nature of the outage demonstrated how many services depend on AWS infrastructure.
Cloud Infrastructure Dependency
AWS serves government departments, universities, and businesses around the world. The Associated Press is among the organizations that use AWS services.
Amazon announced it had started recovery efforts about three hours after the outage began. The company tracked the situation on its AWS health website.
The tech giant confirmed it had identified the root cause of the malfunction. AWS stated the problem was in its cloud computing division.
Recovery and Resolution
Downdetector showed reports of AWS issues declining as services came back online. The platform tracks user-submitted reports of service disruptions.
Cybersecurity expert Mike Chapple described the recovery as slow and bumpy. He said this type of recovery process is normal for outages of this scale.
AWS announced that services had returned to normal operations by Monday evening. The company posted the update on its health status dashboard.
Companies affected by the outage began assessing their losses. The disruption highlighted the concentration of internet infrastructure among a small number of providers.
The outage affected services across multiple sectors including finance, gaming, social media, and streaming. Crypto platforms like Coinbase experienced downtime alongside traditional banking and entertainment services.
AWS confirmed all systems were functioning normally as of 6 p.m. Eastern time on October 20, 2025.
