Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong expects the CLARITY Act to come up for a vote on September 15, following recent efforts by President Donald Trump to convene industry participants and regulators. Armstrong made these remarks on the Katie Miller Podcast on August 26, stating that the legislation aims to establish clearer crypto market rules and create a regulatory framework that remains durable across future administrations.
Armstrong argued that cryptocurrency is no longer defined solely by Bitcoin or libertarian ideals. While he characterized Bitcoin as "digital gold," he noted that blockchain technology is expanding into payments, lending, prediction markets, and real-world asset tokenization. He specifically observed that stocks are currently being tokenized and that various investment funds are moving operations on-chain. When asked about his preferred cryptocurrency, Armstrong called Bitcoin "the original" but also highlighted stablecoins such as USDC.
A central theme of Armstrong's discussion was the emergence of agentic finance. He predicted a future with more AI agents than humans, where these agents will need to execute real-time, small-value transactions globally. This shift creates a demand for financial infrastructure capable of handling machine-to-machine payments efficiently. Armstrong stated, "We need a new financial system for them," adding that this challenge will be solved by crypto. Coinbase is already experimenting with AI-driven financial tools, including Coinbase Advisor, and Armstrong expects agentic trading to grow in importance.
On the regulatory front, Armstrong advocated for a light-touch approach to AI, warning that excessive rules could slow innovation. In contrast, he argued that crypto requires clearer regulation because it operates within an already heavily regulated financial system. He connected cryptocurrency ownership to broader economic freedom, noting that self-custody allows individuals to control their assets without relying on traditional intermediaries or facing the risk of being debanked. Armstrong said this principle remains central to Coinbase's mission of expanding economic freedom and moving finance onto crypto rails.