Brian Armstrong, born in San Jose, California, is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, the largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, which he launched in 2012 with Fred Ehrsam. A Y Combinator alumnus, Armstrong grew up in a middle-class family and earned a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Rice University in 2005, followed by an M.S. in Computer Science in 2006. Before founding Coinbase, he worked as a software engineer at Airbnb developing anti-fraud tools and founded UniversityTutor.com, an online tutoring marketplace. Under his leadership, Coinbase went public via direct listing in 2021, reaching a $100 billion valuation. As of 2025, it serves over 110 million users with a market cap around $60 billion. A Forbes-listed billionaire with a net worth of approximately $10 billion, Armstrong is a vocal advocate for clear crypto regulation. He founded the Stand With Crypto PAC in 2023 to support pro-crypto politicians, promotes decentralized identity solutions, and has pledged 99% of his wealth to charity through the Giving Pledge. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow Brian Armstrong Links: X - https://x.com/brian_armstrong LI - https://linkedin.com/in/barmstrong Coinbase - https://coinbase.com Blog - https://blog.coinbase.com/author/brian-armstrong Stand With Crypto - https://standwithcrypto.org Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://betterhelp.com/srs This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. https://shawnlikesgold.com https://bunkr.life – USE CODE SRS Go to https://bunkr.life/SRS and use code “SRS” to get your 25% off your family plan https://ziprecruiter.com/srs https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://helixsleep.com/srs 00:00 Introduction & Brian Armstrong’s Background 02:25 Firearms Discussion & Gifts 07:49 Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Security 12:05 Early Life, Education & Argentina Experience 21:26 Discovering Bitcoin & Coinbase Origins 24:03 Satoshi Nakamoto & Economic Insights 32:33 Crypto Regulations & America’s Future 37:29 The War on Crypto & Legal Challenges 46:59 Political Engagement & Advocacy 55:39 Crypto’s Role in Global Finance 01:12:28 Adoption, Volatility & Global Currency 01:23:29 Crypto as Everyday Money & Loans 01:34:18 Security & Future Crypto Innovations 01:43:48 Starting & Scaling Coinbase 02:02:08 Economic Freedom & Coinbase’s Mission 02:25:10 Hacker Threats & Law Enforcement 02:29:59 Stablecoins & Strategic Bitcoin Reserve 02:34:08 Base: The Amazon of Crypto 02:38:41 Tech Frontiers & Human Longevity 02:49:22 Future of Medicine & FDA Challenges 03:01:40 Advice for Innovators & Founders 03:04:40 Final Thoughts & Guest Recommendations