Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has described Base as the best blockchain for trading, payments, and AI agents, making a strong strategic case for the layer-2 network at a time when it remains the largest Ethereum rollup by total value locked. The statement reflects not only Base’s current scale in decentralized finance, but also Coinbase’s broader effort to position the chain as infrastructure for stablecoin payments and emerging onchain automation.
Base’s market position is central to Armstrong’s argument
Armstrong’s comments were framed around three verticals: trading, payments, and agents. According to the source material, Base accounts for roughly 46% of all Ethereum layer-2 DeFi total value locked, putting it ahead of other major rollups such as Optimism and Arbitrum. That share gives weight to Coinbase’s claim that Base has moved beyond being just another scaling network and has become a dominant venue for onchain activity within the Ethereum L2 ecosystem.
The article also points to several operating metrics that have supported this rise. Through 2025 and into 2026, Base reportedly outperformed rivals in daily active wallets, decentralized exchange volume, and net inflows. That trend is particularly notable because some competing networks saw user activity fade after incentive programs cooled off. In that context, Base’s growth appears tied less to short-term rewards and more to persistent product-market fit, distribution, and integration advantages.
Base launched in August 2023 and was built on the OP Stack, with Coinbase acting as its incubator and strategic backer. Since launch, Coinbase has deepened its support by committing to hold more of its corporate and customer USDC reserves onchain via Base. That move is important because it strengthens the idea that Base is not only a DeFi chain, but also a candidate for payment-grade financial infrastructure.
Payments are becoming a bigger part of the Base narrative
The payments thesis is closely tied to stablecoins. Armstrong has separately argued that stablecoins are “the best form of money,” and the source notes that Coinbase is pushing further into stablecoin payments in the UK. Those efforts matter because they connect Base’s technical footprint with real commercial use cases. If Coinbase can channel payment flows, merchant activity, or business settlement through stablecoins, Base could become more than a high-activity L2—it could become a settlement layer for regulated digital dollars.
The report also references the proposed PACE Act in the United States, which is under review and would push the Federal Reserve to open payment systems to nonbanks and crypto firms. If such a policy were enacted, it could materially improve the adoption case for blockchain-based payment rails, including Base. While the bill’s outcome remains uncertain, the mention highlights how closely Base’s future may be tied to the direction of financial regulation and access to payment infrastructure.
Outside the US, the article notes that Circle and OSL have already expanded USDC access across Asia. That regional expansion complements Coinbase’s broader stablecoin strategy and reinforces the view that Base could serve as an interoperable rail connecting users, platforms, and institutions across multiple jurisdictions. The source also points to Base’s Solana bridge launch, suggesting that cross-chain connectivity is part of the chain’s long-term expansion plan.
AI agents are the most forward-looking piece of the story
Among the three pillars in Armstrong’s thesis, AI agents may be the most forward-looking. The article says Base has become a preferred deployment environment for autonomous agents carrying out onchain tasks, including portfolio execution and real-time payment routing. That matters because agent-based activity represents a potential new category of blockchain demand—one driven not only by human traders, but by software systems that can transact, rebalance, route funds, and interact with protocols continuously.
Base’s appeal in that segment appears to come from two structural advantages highlighted in the source: low transaction fees and deep integration with Coinbase’s developer ecosystem. If developers can build agents that reliably execute onchain logic at low cost, Base may have a meaningful edge over higher-fee alternatives. The Coinbase link is equally significant, since distribution, tooling, and wallet access often matter as much as raw technical performance when new application categories emerge.
That said, the AI agent opportunity remains early-stage compared with Base’s more established role in DeFi and payments. Armstrong’s framing suggests Coinbase sees agents not as a side experiment, but as a future demand driver that could sit alongside trading and stablecoin transactions as a core category of activity on the network.
Regulation could shape the next phase
Even with strong onchain momentum, Base’s trajectory will still depend on regulation. The article notes that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is under growing pressure to formalize DeFi rules. Clearer frameworks could significantly affect how payment infrastructure, autonomous agents, and DeFi applications on Base are treated from a compliance standpoint.
This is especially relevant because Base is tied to a publicly visible US crypto company. Coinbase’s involvement gives the chain credibility and distribution, but it also places Base closer to regulatory scrutiny than many independent blockchain projects. If US authorities provide clearer rules for DeFi, stablecoins, and crypto payments, that could help Coinbase scale Base with greater confidence. If not, policy uncertainty may continue to define the limits of how quickly these use cases can expand.
A strategic message from Coinbase
Armstrong did not provide a full set of fresh metrics in his statement, but the source argues that onchain data broadly supports his position. More importantly, the message appears designed to do more than celebrate Base’s current standing. It lays out a strategic roadmap: trading as the liquidity engine, payments as the mainstream utility layer, and AI agents as the next wave of programmable demand.
Seen through that lens, Base is being presented as a network that can host today’s crypto activity while also serving as a platform for future financial and software-native applications. Whether it can maintain that lead will depend on execution, competitive pressure from other layer-2 and alternative chains, and the pace at which regulation catches up with stablecoins, DeFi, and machine-driven onchain interactions. For now, however, Armstrong’s message is clear: Coinbase believes Base is no longer simply part of the Ethereum scaling conversation—it is becoming a central chain in its own right.