BrianArmstrongCoinbaseUSDC2012 (BASE)

Coinbase CEO: Crypto is not meant to be replaced by AI, but is the infrastructure for AI

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted to refute the claim "Doing crypto is less worthwhile than turning to AI", calling it a zero‑sum‑game style mistaken thinking.

He believes that cryptocurrency, like electricity and the Internet, is a universal infrastructure; it will not compete with AI but will support AI— the hotter AI gets, the more important crypto becomes.

Armstrong said AI agents need their own financial system: they cannot open bank accounts, cannot wait three days for settlement, can only operate in one country, and must rely on real‑time programmable crypto to send and receive payments.

He mentioned Coinbase’s x402 protocol, Base and USDC, which currently support payments for most AI agents, and future agents will also engage in trading, act as financial advisors, and provide financing and lending.

AI and Crypto have never been an either-or choice.

AI is responsible for creating new intelligent agents, while Crypto provides these agents with a native financial system.

When agents start to hold their own funds, pay for services, borrow, trade, and settle, the traditional banking system is obviously too slow and not programmable enough.

Thus, the stronger AI becomes, the more important on-chain payments, stablecoins, identity, wallets, and settlement infrastructure become.

Agentic Finance may become the true convergence point of AI and Crypto.

This is the core reason why I have long been bullish on AI × Crypto.