Brian Armstrong Pushes for 50% of Coinbase Code to Be AI-Generated by October
Coinbase CEO sets aggressive AI integration target—betting big on automation to streamline operations and cut development costs.
The AI Ambition
Armstrong's directive pushes engineering teams to automate half of all code production through AI assistants within weeks. The move signals a massive operational shift—one that could redefine how crypto platforms scale their tech infrastructure.
Behind the Deadline
The October target isn’t arbitrary. It aligns with end-of-quarter goals and reflects mounting pressure to boost efficiency amid volatile crypto markets. Because nothing says stability like letting algorithms write the checks—and the code.
Finance Meets Future—Or Farce?
If this feels like a hedge fund quant dreaming in Python, that’s because it is. Armstrong’s play might just work—or it’ll be another case of tech optimism outpacing actual delivery. In crypto, though, when has that ever stopped anyone?
AI and software development
The onslaught of AI has led to concerns about its impact on the job market for developers. Concerns have also been raised over whether constant use of the tools could decrease people's understanding of what they are creating—with the result that safety issues could be overlooked.
Where the data used to train these AI agents comes from is also a concern. Art Abal, co-founder of community-owned data network Vana, told Decrypt that while he thought Coinbase was moving in the right direction, he had questions.
“I can’t help but wonder how much of that AI-generated code was trained on human-created data, and how much of the value those humans created is flowing back to them? My guess is close to none,” he said.
“We need a better system of data ownership,” Abal added. “Otherwise, the very people whose data trained these models will be excluded from the innovation and efficiency gains they made possible. Without it, humans risk becoming nothing more than ‘data cows’ endlessly milked, never compensated."
