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Coinbase founder steps back from Base social projects, shifts to trading and AI
Base reported more than $4 billion in DeFi total value locked and over 169 million agentic payments as it refocuses on trading, payments, stablecoins, and AI agents.
Coinbase’s Base blockchain is pivoting away from social adoption initiatives toward a “trading-first” strategy and a focus on decentralized finance and artificial intelligence, according to Yahoo Finance. The shift follows stalled results from creator-focused crypto assets that were meant to monetize social engagement.
Base creator Jesse Pollak is stepping back from the network’s creator coins push after what Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described as failed bets on the “creator coins” concept. Armstrong said Base began turning its focus earlier this year after a year-long effort did not produce sustainable growth.
Pollak said critics had pointed to an emphasis on speculative hype rather than long term user retention and liquidity, and he signaled a reset toward a Base application experience that he characterized as drifting too close to traditional Web2 social platforms. He indicated the network will refocus on building reliable markets, payments, and agent capabilities that can scale.
The updated March 2026 roadmap highlights priorities including global markets, cross border payments, stablecoins, and autonomous AI agents, the outlet reported. Despite the strategic setback, Base remains a leading Ethereum Layer 2, with more than $4 billion in DeFi total value locked and over $12 billion in total on-chain assets, plus more than 169 million agentic payments.
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