Brian Armstrong aims for 50%+ AI-generated code at Coinbase

Coinbase CEO and co-founder Brian Armstrong revealed that 40% of daily code at Coinbase is AI-generated, with a target of above 50% by October 2025. He emphasized that AI should be used responsibly and that all generated code will be reviewed. Armstrong also noted that some areas of the business are less suited to AI-generated code.

Armstrong shared Coinbase’s approach in the piece “Tools for Developer Productivity at Coinbase.” The release explains how the company uses AI tools to help developers work more efficiently without lowering quality. Coinbase has adopted common coding tools, including Cursor, Copilot, and Claude Code, with more than 1,500 engineers using them.

The company started using AI with the code editor Cursor in Summer 2024. The DevX team worked on server integrations like GitHub and Linear to make Cursor more useful, trained engineers on how to use it, and encouraged them to try things out on their own. AI use at Coinbase has grown steadily, and by February 2025, every engineer had used Cursor.

While Coinbase stated that large language models (LLMs) can help developers code faster, the company warned that they don’t always produce perfect code and can introduce more bugs. Coinbase emphasized that AI is just a tool, and humans are still accountable for the final output. To manage these risks, the company worked with its security and privacy teams to create a repository sensitivity matrix, which sets rules developers must follow before using AI tools on code. Coinbase also plans to continue investing in developers and tools to improve its processes.

Armstrong’s announcement on X drew criticism. Some users commented that this approach could put personal data at risk, referencing a previous incident in which Coinbase’s overseas support employees were bribed and leaked user information.