Coinbase CEO Says Financial System Needs Update Across 8 Areas

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong published an eight-point list naming tokenized assets, stablecoins, artificial intelligence (AI), and sound money as areas he says the global financial system still needs updates.

Armstrong framed the items as work for both technology builders and policymakers.

Coinbase Agenda Lands With Tokenization Surging

The post arrived as tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) crossed $34.9 billion in May 2026, according to data from RWA.xyz. The figure shows growth of roughly 200% over the past year.

Armstrong called for putting real estate, stocks, bonds, and funds onchain. He argued the shift would enable instant settlement, fractional ownership, and broader distribution to global investors.

He also pushed for continuous global markets with pooled liquidity. The Coinbase chief said 24/7 trading could improve capital efficiency and expand access to leveraged products.

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Stablecoins, AI Compliance and Regulation Round Out the List

Meanwhile, stablecoin payments also featured in the post, including transfers between autonomous AI agents. Coinbase already operates x402, a stablecoin payment protocol that has processed over 75.4 million transactions in the past 30 days.

On AI, Armstrong said the technology could sharpen credit decisions, fraud detection, and more.

“AI-powered risk, credit, compliance, and advice – Better decisions, less fraud, and broader access to capital. Everyone gets access to a great financial advisor,” he said. 

Moreover, Armstrong urged risk-based regulation rather than blanket rules. The Coinbase CEO also pointed to sound money, self-custody, and lower-cost capital formation as the remaining priorities, framing all eight as outstanding work.

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