Brian Armstrong is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, a publicly traded cryptocurrency company. He has led the business since 2012, chairs its board and is also a co-founder and board member of NewLimit and the co-founder and CEO of ResearchHub.
Coinbase and earlier career
Armstrong co-founded Coinbase with Fred Ehrsam to make digital assets easier to access. The business expanded from a Bitcoin service into trading, custody and infrastructure for consumers, institutions and developers. Coinbase listed on Nasdaq in April 2021.
Before Coinbase, Armstrong worked at Airbnb. His professional history lists a technical product manager role from 2011 to 2012, earlier leadership of UniversityTutor.com, consulting at Deloitte & Touche and an internship team lead role at IBM.
He holds a BA in computer science and economics and an MS in computer science from Rice University.
Research and biotechnology
Outside Coinbase, Armstrong co-founded ResearchHub, which develops tools for open scientific publishing, peer review and research funding. Its team page identifies him as co-founder and CEO.
He also co-founded NewLimit, a biotechnology company researching epigenetic reprogramming, and serves on its board.
Regulatory engagement
Armstrong has publicly advocated for clearer rules governing digital assets. Coinbase contested an SEC civil enforcement action brought in 2023. On February 27, 2025, the SEC announced the case's dismissal, explaining that its decision reflected a change in regulatory approach and was not an assessment of the merits of the claims.
