Brian Armstrong is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, the largest publicly traded cryptocurrency exchange in the United States.
Coinbase
Armstrong co-founded Coinbase with Fred Ehrsam in June 2012 with the goal of making Bitcoin accessible to mainstream consumers. Under his leadership, Coinbase grew from a simple Bitcoin brokerage into a comprehensive crypto platform offering trading, custody, staking, and an L2 blockchain (Base).
In April 2021, Coinbase went public via a direct listing on the Nasdaq (COIN), marking a landmark moment for the crypto industry’s acceptance by traditional financial markets.
Regulatory Battles
Coinbase has been at the center of the U.S. crypto regulatory landscape. In June 2023, the SEC sued Coinbase, alleging it operated as an unregistered securities exchange. Armstrong became a vocal critic of the SEC’s “regulation by enforcement” approach and advocated for clear crypto legislation. The case was ultimately resolved in Coinbase’s favor as part of a broader shift in U.S. regulatory posture toward crypto.
Experience
Before founding Coinbase, Armstrong worked as a Software Engineer at Airbnb (2011–2012). Previously, he founded UniversityTutor.com and worked as a software engineer at Deloitte.
Education
Armstrong holds three degrees from Rice University: a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science.
Related people
Coinbase
