Armstrong outlines 8-point agenda to modernize finance

On May 24, 2026, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong published an eight-point agenda calling for tokenization of real-world assets, continuous global trading, stablecoin payments and wider use of artificial intelligence. He framed the proposals as work for technology builders and policymakers to expand access, speed settlement and reduce costs.

Armstrong proposed placing real estate, stocks, bonds and funds onchain to enable instant settlement, fractional ownership and wider distribution to global investors. He argued tokenized assets would allow trades without multi-day clearing and recommended pooled global liquidity alongside around-the-clock trading so markets can operate continuously and investors can access leveraged products at any hour.

On payments, Armstrong highlighted stablecoins as a way to move value quickly and cheaply, including between autonomous AI agents. Coinbase operates x402, a stablecoin payment protocol that processed more than 75.4 million transactions in the 30 days before his post; Armstrong cited that volume to illustrate real-world usage. He said stablecoins could support faster cross-border flows and new types of automated commerce.

Armstrong recommended broader adoption of AI for risk, credit, compliance and fraud detection, writing that the technology could deliver “better decisions, less fraud, and broader access to capital.” He urged regulators to adopt risk-based rules rather than blanket approaches to allow new tools to be used while harms are managed.

The list also included sound money, self-custody and lower-cost capital formation among remaining priorities. Armstrong described the eight items as complementary and called for coordinated changes across technology stacks, market structure and regulation to support instant settlement and expanded custody options.

Data from RWA.xyz show tokenized real-world assets reached $34.9 billion in May 2026, up roughly 200% from a year earlier. That growth has attracted interest from exchanges, asset managers and blockchain projects working to offer onchain versions of traditional securities and property.

Armstrong addressed both developers building infrastructure and policymakers writing rules, presenting the proposals as practical, incremental steps rather than a single overhaul.