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. Major areas where the financial system still needs an update: 1. Tokenization of real-world assets – Real estate, stocks, bonds, funds, etc. onchain for instant settlement, fractional ownership & massive distribution. 2. 24/7 Global trading – Pooled global liquidity, every… — Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) May 24, 2026 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