Brian Armstrong says crypto works alongside AI as "an 'and,' not an 'or.'"

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong pushed back against crypto firms that are refashioning themselves as artificial-intelligence companies, arguing in a social-media post that blockchain technology serves as a fundamental infrastructure meant to work alongside AI rather than replace it. Armstrong stated that crypto should be seen as an “and,” not an “or.” He outlined plans for Coinbase to lead a system called Agentic Finance, using its x402 protocol, Base blockchain, and USDC stablecoin to enable autonomous software agents to conduct real-time financial transactions. The trend of companies rebranding to include AI buzzwords has drawn comparisons to past speculative manias, while some industry figures warn that giving unvetted code direct access to funds creates serious counterparty risk.