Coinbase's CEO outlined 5 strategies to keep AI spend low without limiting tokens

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto, Economy
Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of Coinbase Global Inc., speaks to members of the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
Brian Armstrong outlined how he's planning to keep AI spending at Coinbase low.

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Help, I think I'm building an AI tool to lay off my coworkers

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Technology
An employee sitting next to an empty desk with a box of items and a glitching computer

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

We let AI imagine Coinbase's future without 'pure managers.' The result is funny, unsettling, and much more efficient.

Tech Insider : Business
Man sits in an empty office
What does management life look like at Coinbase in 2027? We let AI explore the possibilities.

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3 AI execs on why tiny teams work, and where they could fall apart

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Back view of team of graphic designers working on computers in the office.
Building with a smaller team has its benefits and challenges.

skynesher/Getty Images

The most layoff-prone job in tech right now

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto, Technology
Woman sitting at a desk looking at a computer

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3 key things we learned about Brian Armstrong's vision for Coinbase's post-layoff workforce

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
coinbase logo
Coinbase just announced it would cut 14% of staff.

Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tiny teams, no 'pure managers,' and AI: Coinbase's memo has all the classic ingredients of a 2026 layoff letter

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto
Mad Lib gif
Crypto firm Coinbase is the latest company to announce layoffs.

Rebecca Zisser/BI

  • Coinbase is laying off 14% of its staff.
  • Its CEO cited AI as the key reason for this, as it pivots to tiny teams and away from layers of management.
  • The CEO's memo to staff had all the classic ingredients of a 2026 layoff letter.

Same story, different company.

Coinbase is laying off 14% of staff, citing AI. Read the letter from its CEO.

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

I spent my tech career working toward a promotion I never got. I learned through layoffs how to create my own opportunities.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
a head shot of a man in glasses
Brian Pulliam.

Courtesy of Brian Pulliam

Brooklyn man, 23, is charged in $15 million Coinbase 'customer-care' scheme

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto
This is an image of the Coinbase logo, shown on a cellphone.
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged stealing $15 million by impersonating Coinbase customer service.

Li Hongo/Getty Images

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