Brian Armstrong, a co-founder and the CEO of Coinbase (COIN), said in an interview on Friday that Coinbase’s long-term goal is to be a financial “super app,” offering crypto alongside a broad range of financial services beyond traditional banking.
Armstrong, speaking on Fox Business’ “The Claman Countdown,” told Liz Claman that momentum in Congress is the strongest he has seen, with lawmakers from both parties advancing frameworks for the industry. A move that boosts Coinbase’s momentum towards building the super app.
He explained how his company wants to approach the buildout during the interview.
Coinbase intends to integrate services people typically get from banks and fintechs and deliver them on crypto rails. He pointed to a recently launched Coinbase credit card that pays 4% back in bitcoin as an early example and argued card networks’ 2%–3% swipe fees show why payments need an overhaul.
The longer-term target, he said, is a comprehensive application that handles spending, savings, payments and investing, not just trading.
Armstrong spelled out the ambition explicitly: “We want to be a bank replacement for people, we want to be their primary financial account,” adding that Coinbase aims to “provide all types of financial services,” not only crypto. He agreed with the framing that this amounts to becoming a super app and said crypto rails make that feasible by offering faster, cheaper settlement.
Washington and big banks
According to Armstrong, the path to the super app starts with lawmakers.
He pointed to the recent passage of the “Genius Act,” which established rules for stablecoins, and a separate market-structure bill now under debate in the Senate that would define how tokens like bitcoin and ether are regulated.
“This freight train has left the station,” Armstrong said, describing growing bipartisan interest in putting clear rules on the books. He argued that clarity could resolve years of conflict with regulators under the previous administration, who often treated crypto tokens as unregistered securities.
However, despite lawmakers’ historical push to help set a regulatory framework, one last hurdle needs to be cleared: The lobbying by big banks.
Some institutions, he explained, have sought to restrict rewards programs on stablecoins, claiming they would undermine the traditional payments business. Armstrong dismissed those concerns, saying crypto rewards are no different from airline miles or credit card points.
“American consumers want to earn more money on their money — that should be totally allowed,” he said.
While he criticized lobbying efforts to block competition, Armstrong also stressed that Coinbase partners with major banks such as JPMorgan and PNC to provide custody and payments services, showing parts of the sector are embracing crypto rails.
Staying ahead of rivals
While building a super app is a monumental task that has gained momentum, Coinbase still needs to look out for rivals who might be fighting for market share.
However, Armstrong isn’t worried; rather, he welcomes the competition.
With new exchanges entering the U.S. market, including platforms launched by Gemini and others, Armstrong said Coinbase benefits from its head start. He argued that a thriving ecosystem is essential for mainstream adoption, and Coinbase’s advantage comes from trust.
According to Armstrong, Coinbase now stores more crypto than any other provider, which encourages customers to use its broader suite of services from trading to payments. He said the ambition is not just to facilitate transactions but to eventually become the platform people use as their “primary financial account.”
Armstrong’s “primary account” vision echoes remarks from Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, who asked at the All-In Summit 2025, “Can we be your comprehensive financial platform?” and outlined banking and wealth features as steps toward that goal, according to a report by Business Insider published on Sept. 15. The comparison suggests multiple U.S. fintechs are angling to expand beyond trading into everyday finance.
Bitcoin outlook
The interview also touched on the broader market.
Armstrong avoided short-term predictions but said he sees “a good chance” that bitcoin could reach $1 million by 2030.
He cited three major tailwinds: regulatory clarity, the creation of a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, and heavy inflows into the newly launched bitcoin ETFs, 80% of which rely on Coinbase for custody.
He likened bitcoin’s role in portfolios to a hybrid of gold and equities, noting that many investors now view it as both a hedge against uncertainty and a long-term growth asset.
