[Coinbase CEO: AI Makes Cryptocurrency Even More Important] Foresight News reports that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted that cryptocurrency is a universal technology, akin to electricity or the internet, serving as infrastructure that supports rather than competes with other major trends. AI, in fact, makes it even more important. AI agents require dedicated financial infrastructure—they cannot open bank accounts or wait several days for wire transfers. They need real-time programmable money (i.e., cryptocurrency). AI agents will need to independently hold funds, make payments, conduct transactions, act as financial advisors, secure financing or loans, and handle tax planning, portfolio rebalancing, and bill payments. Currently, Coinbase has pioneered related practices through the x402 protocol, Base, and USDC, which now drive the majority of agent payments and are building Agentic Finance (AiFi).