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.
