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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong unveiled the company’s ambitious 2026 roadmap, promising a global “everything exchange”.
While the vision is bold, users and developers alike are signaling frustration, citing a widening gap between Coinbase’s stated priorities and their on-the-ground experiences.
According to the Coinbase executive, the Everything app would span crypto, equities, commodities, and prediction markets. It would also feature scaled stablecoins and payments, as well as expanded developer onboarding through the Base chain and the Base App.
“We’re making major investments in product quality and automation underlying each of these as well. Goal is to make Coinbase the #1 financial app in the world,” wrote Armstrong.
Critics have long highlighted safety lapses. In 2025, Coinbase experienced a data breach allegedly involving insider participation.
“Brian still doesn’t see user safety to be a priority for Coinbase. It could’ve been prevented. A year later, instead of fixing that shit, leadership says ‘bring more lambs to my slaughterhouse, pls,’” wrote Tay, a popular user on X (Twitter).
Despite Armstrong’s 2026 focus on global expansion and automation, many users feel security and customer support remain afterthoughts.
The backlash against the Base App has compounded frustrations. The rebranded self-custody wallet, designed as a hybrid of trading, social feeds, and messaging atop Coinbase’s Layer-2 Base chain, has been criticized for prioritizing creator and content coins over meaningful DeFi or gaming projects.
“Everything on Base is trash… Your flagship is a scam token generator,” stated another user, reflecting a widespread sentiment among developers who feel overlooked unless they align with Base leadership or are ex-Coinbase employees.
Many builders report feeling unsupported and gaslit by Base management. In a lengthy post, developer Coco argued that Coinbase is effectively competing with its own builders, favoring insiders over long-standing projects.
“Stop supporting absolute scammers… Support legit builders, not SouljaBoy or Sahil,” Coco wrote, emphasizing the risk of top talent fleeing the ecosystem if the chain continues to prioritize internal politics over merit.
BeInCrypto recently reported on the controversy surrounding Soulja Boy, where backlash erupted after Base creator Jesse Pollak endorsed a meme coin associated with the American rapper and record producer.
Users are also questioning Coinbase’s focus on social versus financial utility. While Armstrong emphasizes onboarding through the Base App, retail traders argue that the company is neglecting the next generation of finance users.
“Retail wants to bet, bank, save, earn, trade, withdraw cash, pay rent, and everything else at the same time… Coinbase does not understand this,” explained user Evfiend, highlighting the competitive threat posed by platforms like Robinhood, which offer integrated financial services without forcing users to navigate fragmented apps.
Regulatory decisions have added to confusion. Coinbase plans to turn off on/off ramps in Argentina, a region with high stablecoin adoption. This prompts questions about whether such moves are regulatory, political, or internal.
Finally, analysts and users also cite a disconnect between roadmap and execution, with execution having historically fallen short. This pertains to uneven token listings and opaque decision-making on the Base chain.
Longstanding Base builders echo this, describing an “uneven, unfair playground” where merit is often secondary to internal alignment. Many users perceive Armstrong’s playbook as repetitive and disconnected from community needs.
“They’ve run this same playbook for a long time now… The shit they say does not match up with the shit they do,” tweeted Rbthreek, highlighting the growing credibility gap with both retail users and developers.
Despite these criticisms, some see potential in Coinbase’s 2026 vision. Users acknowledge the Base chain’s promise for on-chain payments and retail adoption, and the Base App could eventually streamline social trading if execution aligns with community needs.
Yet, without addressing security, developer trust, and the disconnect between ambition and delivery, Coinbase risks alienating the very users its roadmap aims to onboard.
As Armstrong pushes for a global “everything exchange,” critics argue that Coinbase must first prove it can secure, support, and empower its existing base before betting on the future of on-chain social finance.
Until then, 2026 may be a year of promise, but also of mounting skepticism.
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