Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said publicly on X that Base’s creator-token push did not work and that the network changed course earlier this year, according to The Defiant. Responding to a user, Armstrong wrote that the effort failed, called it a mistake, and said it was time to move on. The admission marks a clear break from a strategy Base had backed for more than a year around creator-linked “content coins.”
The main platform tied to that push, Zora, has seen its ZORA token fall about 95% from its all-time high in August last year, with market capitalization dropping from roughly $800 million to about $30 million. Armstrong also pushed back on criticism that Base’s current emphasis on AI agents is just another trend chase. He said the network’s roadmap has consistently prioritized trading, payments, and agents, describing the three as closely connected. Base’s March 2026 roadmap highlighted global markets, stablecoin payments, and AI agents, while Coinbase introduced the x402 protocol for autonomous agent payments and launched Coinbase for Agents with Microsoft, Google, and Mastercard.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has publicly acknowledged that Base’s creator-token strategy failed, according to The Defiant, saying on X that the network had already changed direction earlier this year after more than a year of pushing creator-linked “content coins.”
In a reply to a user, Armstrong wrote: “They didn’t work, we pivoted earlier this year. We made mistakes, and it’s time to turn the page.”
ZORA token has dropped about 95% from its peak
Zora was the main platform behind Base’s creator-token push. Its ZORA token is down about 95% from its all-time high in August last year, while its market capitalization has fallen from roughly $800 million to about $30 million.
Armstrong rejects criticism over Base’s AI agent push
Armstrong also responded to criticism that Base’s current focus on AI agents amounts to chasing another hot narrative. He said Base’s roadmap has consistently treated “trading, payments and agents” as priority areas and described the three as “deeply intertwined.”
Base’s roadmap released in March 2026 named global markets, stablecoin payments and AI agents as key focus areas. Coinbase has also introduced the x402 protocol for agent payments initiated autonomously by AI, and launched Coinbase for Agents with Microsoft, Google and Mastercard to advance the standard.
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