Coinbase CEO Says Tokenized Assets Could Do For Finance What the iPhone Did For Tech: ‘An Entirely New Wave of Companies’

Coinbase Global Inc.(NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong said tokenized assets on blockchains could transform financial markets in much the same way the iPhone created a platform for companies such as Uber Technologies Inc.www.benzinga.com/quote/UBER(NYSE:UBER), TikTok and Coinbase.

Armstrong Predicts New Blockchain Finance Companies

On Saturday, Armstrong made the comments on X, comparing the potential impact of blockchain with the iPhone’s role in creating new businesses.

"Apple didn’t predict Uber, TikTok, or Coinbase," Armstrong said.

He added, "But the iPhone enabled an entirely new wave of companies."

He argued that tokenized assets could have a similar effect on financial markets.

"We already know the immediate benefits (global access, better utility, 24/7 trading), but a new set of finance companies we can’t imagine will be built on top," Armstrong said.

Tokenized assets are digital tokens created on a blockchain that represent ownership or rights to real-world physical or financial assets.

Apple didn’t predict Uber, TikTok, or Coinbase. But the iPhone enabled an entirely new wave of companies.

Tokenized assets on blockchains will be similar. We already know the immediate benefits (global access, better utility, 24/7 trading), but a new set of finance companies we…

Aug 29, 2026