Coinbase has begun testing AI agents across internal tools including Slack and email, as part of a broader push to integrate artificial intelligence into its workforce operations.
Chief executive Brian Armstrong said the company has already deployed two agents and expects AI systems could soon outnumber human employees at the crypto exchange.
“Soon, it will be easy for any employee to spin up a new agent for themselves or their team,”
Said Armstrong, adding that AI agents may eventually exceed the number of staff.
The two initial agents, named Fred and Balaji, are modelled after former Coinbase executives, with Fred acting as a strategic advisor and Balaji designed to challenge assumptions and encourage creative thinking.
The move aligns with Coinbase’s wider strategy to become an “AI-native” organisation, with Armstrong previously stating he wants more than half of the company’s code to be generated by AI systems.
Industry leaders including Jeremy Allaire and Changpeng Zhao have also predicted that AI agents will dominate blockchain transactions in the coming years.
The shift reflects a broader trend across tech and crypto, where companies are increasing automation and positioning AI agents as future participants in digital economies and onchain payments.