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- Brian Armstrong said the financial system still needed eight major overhauls, pointing to the global reality and 24/7 global markets at the heart of his argument.
- The CEO of Coinbase described a financial system that is becoming global, more and more dependent on the mechanical system.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has also given a big idea of where the money is going. The point is not that crypto will add new tools to the existing system. He argues, in fact, that much of the structure of the modern economy is still based on the old metal.
The list they published covers eight areas, from token assets and international trade to stablecoin payments, AI-led compliance, self-sustainability and sound currency. It’s a big frame, but the message is direct. The economy is still fragmented, slow in places, expensive in others, and heavily dependent on middlemen.
Armstrong tags in at the top
Armstrong mentioned the real wealth of the world a symbol as the first major upgrade. These include real estate, stocks, bonds, funds and other traditional assets that move on a chain, with the goal of quick settlement, share ownership and wide distribution.
This is not a small technological change. In traditional markets, settlement can take one or two business days, depending on the stock and its strength. Ownership records are often divided between brokers, managers, consignors and clearinghouses. Tokenization attempts to force part of the process into digital ownership, in which transfer, stability and record keeping can be done directly.
The attraction is understandable. A fixed bond, for example, can be quickly fixed and distributed to many investors. A trademarked property can lower the legacy barrier of property ownership which is often illegal and expensive. Fees can also be flexible, with automatic checks and cleaning machines.
However, the biggest challenge is not the technology itself. Legal recognition, deposit rules, investor protection, secondary market funds and the link between the token and the underlying assets remain uncertain. A trademark is only useful if the claims behind it are legitimate.
Armstrong also reported on 24/7 global sales. In its design, futures markets should not be linked to international exchange hours or liquidity. Crypto markets are already working day and night, and this has created expectations for users. Traditional currencies, in contrast, still stop and start according to business days, public holidays and regional market schedules.
That difference is important. A continuous market can reduce standardization gaps and improve access to users around the world. It can also introduce new risks, especially in the case of off-time financials, market surveillance and volatility when fewer professional desks are operating.
The main areas where the financial system still needs to be reformed:
1. Real estate token – Trade real estate, stocks, bonds, funds, etc. onchain for instant settlement, share ownership & mass distribution.
2. 24/7 Global Trading – Global financial inclusion, everything…
– Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) May 24, 2026
Stablecoins, AI and self-regulation move into the same picture
Salary was another big point. Armstrong said next-generation payments should be near-instant and cheap, and stablecoins play a major role. This is one of the clearest areas where crypto has already gone beyond theory.
Stablecoins are increasingly used for cross-border transfers, exchange stability, dollar access in markets with weak banking facilities and financial services within crypto businesses. The complaint is not difficult. A dollar sign can move at almost any time, often faster than a traditional bank transfer, and without relying on multiple central clearinghouses.
Armstrong also referred to “account payments.” That term refers to a new concept: AI agents that can make or initiate payments on behalf of users, companies or software applications. In practice, this could mean automated shopping, machine-to-machine payments, subscription management, restocking or microtransactions among digital services. For this to work on a large scale, toll railways need to be fast, cheap and organized. Stablecoins are a natural fit for this discussion.
Coinbase’s CEO also included AI risk, credit, compliance and investment advice. This is where the debate goes beyond crypto trading. Financial institutions already use analytics to detect fraud, underwrite and monitor transactions, but the next step could be real-time and personal. AI can help assess credit risk, suspicious activity, streamline operations and make financial advice easier.
There is a catch, of course. Better performance doesn’t just mean better results. Models can be wrong, reproduce biases or create dangerous new processes if many organizations rely on similar tools. That is why Armstrong’s point about law is important. He called for a new set of risk-based laws instead of just one example.
Privacy and open protocols are also part of the same vision. Armstrong said that wallets and open financial networks can cut out the middleman and expand access to anyone with a mobile phone. This is the strongest philosophical line in the series. It is about users who have assets directly, move money without asking permission from the central guard, and interact with financial services through software instead of bank branches.
He also emphasized on fundraising, explaining how raising money is cheaper and turning to founders. Theoretically, raising capital on the chain can increase the access to the main markets of the startup. In doing so, this area remains challenging because the trading of public tokens has a long history of speculation, weak disclosure and enforcement problems.
The last point was “sound money,” which Armstrong developed as a refuge from inflation when confidence in fiat discipline weakened. This is a well-known crypto controversy, especially around Bitcoin, but it also shows a lot of concern in the markets. Investors continue to look for potential assets as the monetary policy, public debt and inflation expectations become difficult to read.
For Coinbase, Armstrong’s list is a business idea. The company is at the forefront of tokenization, stablecoins, storage, trading products, wallets and regulations. So his message is not just a financial prophecy. It’s a map of where Coinbase believes the next phase of the financial system will be built.
