Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Predicts 10% of Global GDP Will Be Crypto-Based by 2030

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong believes the cryptocurrency industry is entering a new phase of growth in the United States, predicting that up to 10% of global GDP will be crypto-based by 2030.

Speaking during Coinbase’s Q4 2024 earnings call on Feb. 13, Armstrong compared the current wave of companies integrating blockchain technology to the early 2000s, when businesses had to adapt to the internet.

“Onchain is the new online,” Armstrong stated, emphasizing that blockchain adoption is becoming a necessity across industries.

Over $10 Trillion in Economic Value Could Be Tokenized if Crypto Adoption Accelerates

If his forecast materializes, over $10 trillion in economic value could be tokenized or operating on blockchain networks, based on the World Bank’s current global GDP estimate of over $100 trillion.

Armstrong also suggested that the U.S. will lead the charge in crypto adoption, pointing to recent policy developments.

He noted that President Trump has moved quickly to fulfill his campaign pledge of making the country a global hub for cryptocurrency innovation.

Additionally, Armstrong described the current U.S. Congress as the most pro-crypto legislature Coinbase has seen, highlighting ongoing efforts to establish stablecoin regulations and market structure legislation.

He argued that regulatory clarity in the U.S. would pressure other nations to follow suit, accelerating global blockchain adoption.

WOW.

Coinbase just blew away analyst expectations.

EPS: $4.68 vs $2.11 exp.
REV: $2.27B vs $1.84B exp.

Revenue: +138% YoY
Net Income: +300% YoY

Transaction Revenue: +194% YoY
Subscription Services: +71% YoY
Trading Volume: +185% YoY
Monthly Transacting Users: +24% YoY…

— Anthony Pompliano 🌪 (@APompliano) February 13, 2025

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller added weight to this argument by recently calling for stablecoin regulations that would allow banks to issue dollar-pegged digital assets.

Armstrong believes such policies will further integrate crypto into mainstream finance.

Looking ahead, Armstrong outlined Coinbase’s focus for 2025 and beyond, stating that the company will prioritize expanding revenue from existing products while enhancing blockchain utility in new markets.

He described this strategy as laying the foundation for the next decade of crypto-driven growth.

Coinbase’s strong financial performance supports this optimism. The firm reported total Q4 revenue of $2.3 billion, an 88% increase quarter-over-quarter, significantly exceeding analyst projections.

Coinbase Holds Over $420 Billion in Digital Assets for Users

Earlier this month, Coinbase announced that it now holds over $420 billion in digital assets on behalf of its users, surpassing the 21st largest bank in the United States in terms of assets under management (AUM).

At the time, Armstrong said the exchange’s AUM would position it as the 21st largest U.S. bank if it were classified as a traditional financial institution.

Armstrong also said that if Coinbase were categorized as a brokerage firm, it would rank as the 8th largest brokerage by AUM.

Coinbase’s $420 billion in AUM is over three times larger than the $112.9 billion managed by New York Community Bancorp (NYCB), which holds the 21st spot among U.S. banks.

More recently, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said U.S. President Donald Trump’s crypto agenda has become a central topic of discussion across the crypto industry, financial markets, and the tech world.

Reflecting on his recent time at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Armstrong revealed that conversations with major market leaders were dominated by Trump’s plans for digital assets.