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Brian Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of Coinbase, revealed that a senior executive at one of the world’s top ten banks recently described cryptocurrencies as the institution’s number one strategic priority — and an existential threat to its traditional business model.

Speaking during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Armstrong said emerging trends such as asset tokenization and stablecoins are poised to fundamentally reshape the global financial system. He explained that these technologies could dramatically expand access to investment opportunities for billions of people worldwide, while simultaneously weakening the role of traditional banks by eliminating them as financial intermediaries.

Armstrong noted that political support for digital assets in the United States is gaining momentum. He pointed to recent initiatives by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at advancing regulatory clarity, including the proposed CLARITY Act, which seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets and strengthen America’s competitiveness in the crypto sector.

He added that the push for clearer regulation comes amid intensifying global competition, particularly from China, which is investing heavily in stablecoin infrastructure and next-generation digital financial technologies.

Armstrong also highlighted the growing convergence between artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. He suggested that AI agents may eventually rely on stablecoins to execute payments autonomously, potentially bypassing traditional banking systems and existing compliance mechanisms.

According to Armstrong, these combined developments signal a structural shift in global finance that could redefine payments, investment access, and the role of financial institutions in the digital economy.