Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the company has begun testing AI agents that operate through Slack and email to help employees handle everyday tasks, as part of a broader push to integrate AI into its workflows.
In a post on X, Armstrong revealed that two such agents are already in use, each modeled after former Coinbase executives. He suggested that, over time, AI agents could outnumber human staff at the company.
“Soon, it will be easy for any employee to spin up a new agent for themselves or their team,” Armstrong said. “I suspect we will have more agents than human employees at some point soon.”
The move comes as major tech firms continue cutting jobs while ramping up AI adoption. Armstrong has been vocal about automating workflows at Coinbase, previously stating he wants more than 50% of the company’s code to be generated by AI. The company has also been working to turn its 4,000+ workforce into “AI-native” employees.
Coinbase has introduced two initial agents: Fred and Balaji. Fred — named after co-founder Fred Ehrsam — acts as a “strategic executive agent,” helping employees with prioritization, clarity and high-level decision-making.
The second agent, Balaji, is modeled after former CTO Balaji Srinivasan. Designed to embody creativity and disruption, it’s intended to challenge assumptions and push employees toward more innovative thinking.
Coinbase has also leaned into the rise of agentic AI, launching its x402 protocol in May 2025 to enable AI agents to make payments across both crypto and traditional fiat rails.
The push reflects a growing industry view that AI agents could soon become the primary users of blockchain-based payments. CEO Brian Armstrong recently predicted that “more AI agents will be transacting online than humans very soon.”
Similar views have been echoed across the sector. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said in January that “literally billions of AI agents” could be transacting onchain within the next three to five years.
Meanwhile, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao argued that crypto will serve as the “native currency for AI agents,” enabling them to handle tasks like purchasing tickets or paying bills without relying on traditional payment methods such as credit cards.
