E73: Brian Armstrong on Crypto in 2024, Politics, and Economic Freedom

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, joins Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez on Moment of Zen in August 2024 to talk about the company's evolution and the broader crypto landscape. Armstrong discusses Coinbase's focus on product development, their efforts in Washington D.C., why he listens to Balaji Srinivasan, and strategies for increasing global crypto adoption. Armstrong also touches on his venture into biotech with New Limit, the changing media landscape, and the future of economic freedom through decentralized technologies. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: Get first-party targeting with Brave's private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. -- RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- LINKS: Base: https://www.base.org/ Coinbase Developer Platform: https://cdp.coinbase.com/ New Limit: https://www.newlimit.com/ Farcaster: https://www.farcaster.xyz/ Stand With Crypto: https://standwithcrypto.org -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:28) Brian's Current Focus Areas at Coinbase (03:10) Coinbase's Move Towards Decentralization (05:09) Coinbase's Approach to Innovation (10:36) Thoughts on Mass Market Crypto Adoption (15:01) Sponsor: Babbel | Brave (17:44) Crypto's Implications Beyond Payments (23:54) Experiences with Crypto Regulation in DC (29:14) Sponsor: Squad  (30:42) Coinbase's Marketing Strategy (34:09) Measuring Economic Freedom and Crypto Adoption (43:08) Origins of New Limit Biotech Company (50:12) Challenges of Shifting from Crypto to Biotech (52:58) Reflections on Dan Romero's Contributions to Coinbase (55:18) Thoughts on Balaji Srinivasan (56:34) Balaji's Insights on Media Landscape (59:24) Wrap