Crypto and AI: Coinbase CEO Says They're Not Mutually Exclusive

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has spoken out against the notion that cryptocurrency founders should pivot to artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent post, Armstrong argued that AI is not in competition with crypto and instead sees it as complementary technology.

'It's zero sum, scarcity thinking,' he wrote. 'Crypto is a general-purpose technology.' He likened it to electricity and the internet, saying it's an infrastructure that underpins various technologies, including AI.

Armstrong believes that AI agents will need their own financial infrastructure to trade, hold funds, and pay for items in real-time, which he claims crypto is uniquely positioned to provide. He referred to this concept as 'Agentic Finance' or AiFi.