“Brian Armstrong returns from the World Economic Forum with a message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously”, — write: www.coindesk.com
Armstrong’s post, shared on X, highlighted a shift in how legacy financial institutions are engaging with crypto. The remark underscores the growing urgency among traditional banks to adapt to crypto infrastructure, particularly as global regulators move closer to establishing clearer rules for digital assets.
Just wrapped up our week in Davos. I don’t love wearing a suit every day, but sometimes it has to be done!Davos is a unique place – world leaders and CEOs (and lots of crypto companies!) all come together in a small mountain town in Switzerland for a few days. It’s a productive… pic.twitter.com/0lO5TqRhkL
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) January 24, 2026
Armstrong didn’t name the bank or executive, but said that many financial leaders he met during the weeklong event weren’t just open to crypto — they were actively seeking ways to get in. “Most of them are actually very pro crypto and are leaning into it as an opportunity,” he wrote.
For banks that rely on legacy payment rails, crypto represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
Read more: Bank of America CEO says stablecoins could drain trillions in bank deposits
Tokenization pushAs stablecoins and tokenized assets gain momentum, the threat of disintermediation grows. It’s possible that a global asset manager or fintech firm could someday bypass traditional banks entirely by offering direct access to tokenized securities or stablecoin-based transfers — moving value instantly, without clearing delays or middlemen (a core pillar of crypto).
Armstrong said tokenization was one of the most discussed trends at Davos, expanding beyond stablecoins into equities, credit, and other financial products.
He pointed to the estimated 4 billion “unbrokered” adults worldwide who lack access to high-quality investments. Tokenization, he argued, could help close that gap.
“Expect some major progress here in 2026,” he added.
Regulation CLARITYThe Coinbase CEO also noted that political support for crypto in the US appears to be strengthening.
He cited the Trump administration’s push for crypto-focused legislation, such as the CLARITY Act, which aims to provide a regulatory framework for digital assets. Armstrong did not touch on his firm’s decision to withdraw support for the crypto market structure bill at the last minute, following which the hearing was delayed.
Read more: Here’s why Coinbase and other companies soured on the major crypto bill
Armstrong described the administration as “the most crypto-forward government in the world” and said the push for clear rules is essential to keeping the US competitive as countries like China invest heavily in stablecoin infrastructure. A theme Donald Trump has also talked about during his speech at Davos.
AI and cryptoArmstrong also said that artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto were the two most-discussed technologies at Davos.
While in the capital markets, AI’s surge has taken the wind out of crypto, Armstrong stressed that the two are closely linked. AI agents, he said, will likely default to using stablecoins for payments, bypassing conventional identity checks and banking restrictions altogether.
The infrastructure exists, and usage is rapidly growing,” he added.
The message from Armstrong’s Davos recap was clear: crypto isn’t a fringe experiment anymore. For at least some of the world’s biggest financial players, it’s now a strategic priority — and possibly a matter of survival.
Read more: Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong spars with France’s Central Bank chief at Davos over yield and ‘bitcoin standard’
KuCoin captured a record share of centralized exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the broader crypto market.
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per monthmarking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralized exchange volumeas KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumeswhich slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly spliteach exceeding $500 billion for the year, signaling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activityreinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activityindicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
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Agora CEO Nick van Eck sees stablecoin adoption shifting to real-world business for cross-border payments.
- Agora, founded by Nick van Eck, is shifting its focus from DeFi growth toward using its AUSD stablecoin for enterprise payroll, B2B and cross-border payments.
- Van Eck argued that traditional companies will adopt stablecoins slowly due to infrastructure, policy and education gaps, but sees the biggest gains in replacing costly, pre-funded cross-border payment systems.
- He said he expects corporate-controlled chains like Circle’s Arc, Coinbase’s Base and Stripe’s Tempo to dominate as the market consolidates, and aims for Agora to become a top-five global stablecoin issuer by building tools that feel more like bank accounts than crypto.
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