Coinbase CEO Says Crypto Could Transform Startup Fundraising

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, believes the next major breakthrough for cryptocurrencies will be in capital formation and startup fundraising. According to Armstrong, blockchain technology could dramatically simplify how companies raise money.

In a recent post on X, Armstrong said that cryptocurrency will “break down barriers around fundraising and capital formation,” potentially changing one of the most difficult stages of launching a new business.

Crypto Could Make Fundraising Faster and Easier

Raising capital is often one of the biggest challenges for startups. Entrepreneurs typically spend months pitching to investors, preparing legal documents, and navigating complex financial processes. These steps can be time-consuming and expensive, especially for founders with limited resources.

Armstrong argues that blockchain-based systems could reduce this friction significantly. By simplifying transactions, improving transparency, and enabling global participation, crypto-based fundraising could allow startups to access capital more quickly.

If these barriers are reduced, Armstrong believes it could lead to a surge in the number of new startups worldwide, boosting innovation and accelerating technological progress.

Coinbase Expands Services in Europe

At the same time, Coinbase continues to expand its financial services. The company recently announced that traders in 26 European countries, including Germany, France, and Netherlands, can now access regulated futures contracts on the platform for the first time.

The futures products will initially be available through Coinbase Advanced and will include both perpetual-style contracts and dated futures with different settlement mechanisms.

According to the exchange, traders will be able to use leverage of up to 10× on selected assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, while other contracts may offer leverage between 4× and 5×.

Coinbase also revealed that it currently holds around 12% of the world’s total crypto assets in custody and stores the majority of assets backing U.S. spot crypto ETFs, highlighting its growing role in the global crypto market.