The Shawn Ryan Show - Brian Armstrong, co-founder and CEO of Coinbase

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 of 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.