AI Agents Will Need Crypto, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Says

Highlights:

• Brian Armstrong says AI growth will make crypto infrastructure more important, not push the industry aside.
• He expects AI agents to use programmable crypto payments because traditional banking cannot meet their needs.
• Coinbase is building Agentic Finance through x402, Base, and USDC for autonomous payments and financial tasks.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) will make cryptocurrency infrastructure more useful, not less relevant. In a July 26 post on X, Armstrong rejected the idea that crypto companies should abandon blockchain projects and “pivot to AI.” Instead, he argued that both technologies will develop together, with crypto providing the payment systems AI agents need.

Armstrong described crypto as a general-purpose technology, similar to electricity or the internet. In his view, blockchain does not compete directly with every new technology trend. It can work as underlying infrastructure that supports new products, services, and digital economies.

AI Agents Need Fast, Programmable Payments

The Coinbase chief expects AI agents to become active participants in the global economy. An AI agent is software that can complete tasks, make decisions, and take actions for a person or business with limited human input.

According to Armstrong, these agents will eventually carry out more daily transactions than humans. However, traditional banking systems are not designed for software-based customers. AI agents cannot independently open standard bank accounts, while slow wire transfers may not suit systems that operate continuously across digital platforms.

Armstrong said crypto can address these limits by offering real-time, programmable money. Blockchain payments can operate around the clock, while software can send, receive or manage funds based on preset rules. Therefore, AI agents could use crypto to pay for online services, purchase data, access software tools or complete other automated tasks.

"If you're in crypto, pivot to AI."

I used to hear versions of this, and it's the wrong way to think about the world. It's zero sum, scarcity thinking.

Crypto is a general purpose technology. It's infrastructure, the same way electricity or the internet is infrastructure. It…

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) July 26, 2026

Coinbase Builds Around x402, Base and USDC

Armstrong highlighted Coinbase’s x402 protocol, Base blockchain, and USDC stablecoin as important tools for AI-based payments. The x402 protocol allows online applications and AI agents to make automatic payments through normal web requests. Base is a blockchain network developed by Coinbase, while USDC is a stablecoin designed to maintain a value close to the U.S. dollar.

According to Armstrong, these products already support most payments involving autonomous AI agents. However, he did not provide detailed transaction figures in the post. “Agents will need to hold funds and pay for things on their own,” Armstrong wrote. “We pioneered this with the x402 protocol, Base, and USDC, which now power the vast majority of all agentic payments.”

Beyond payments, Armstrong expects AI agents to trade assets, provide financial advice, borrow funds, and raise money for new projects. He also said they could handle routine financial tasks, including portfolio rebalancing, tax planning, bill payments, and investment management.

Coinbase Calls the New Sector Agentic Finance

Armstrong described the combination of AI agents and blockchain payments as “Agentic Finance,” also known as AiFi. The model involves AI systems managing money and completing financial actions on behalf of individuals or businesses.

His comments present Coinbase’s strategy as a combination of cryptocurrency infrastructure and artificial intelligence rather than a choice between the two industries. However, many of the use cases he described remain future-focused. Their wider adoption will likely depend on security, regulation, developer support and public trust.