Coinbase CEO: “In the AI era, financial infrastructure is blockchain” — stresses expanding role in payments and settlement

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, said that as artificial intelligence (AI) spreads, the role of blockchain and digital-asset (cryptocurrency) infrastructure is expanding rapidly.

According to digital-asset outlet EtherNews on the 7th, Armstrong said, “Autonomously operating AI agents cannot function within the existing banking system,” adding that “blockchain is effectively the only viable alternative as a means of payment and settlement that enables transactions between AIs.”

Armstrong laid out Coinbase’s mid- to long-term goal as a financial operating system that goes beyond being a “digital-asset exchange.” He explained that Coinbase could evolve into “trading infrastructure for all assets,” integrating not only digital assets but also stocks, commodities and prediction markets in an on-chain environment.

He singled out economic activity between AI agents as a key shift. “AI can’t open bank accounts or pass identity verification, but stablecoins can be used as programmable, neutral payment instruments,” he said, adding that “a structure becomes possible in which AI pays other AI directly for data, compute resources and API usage.”

As supporting infrastructure, he pointed to Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 network. He outlined a plan to build Base as a low-cost, highly scalable environment and use it as a foundation on which software entities—not human users—can transact and settle continuously.

Armstrong’s remarks came as bitcoin prices plunged, dampening investor sentiment across the market. On this, he emphasized, “The convergence of AI and digital assets isn’t a story that depends on a bull market,” adding, “Regardless of price, infrastructure and standards are already entering the buildout phase.”

The outlet reported, “Armstrong’s message is less a market outlook than a declaration of direction,” adding, “As AI autonomy strengthens, demand for permissionless payments and programmable money will naturally grow.”