Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong unveiled the corporate’s ambitious roadmap for 2026, promising a world “all the things exchange.”
Although the vision is daring, each users and developers express frustration, citing a growing gap between Coinbase's stated priorities and their experiences on the bottom.
Brian Armstrong finds himself in turmoil as Coinbase's 2026 roadmap faces backlash from users
According to the Coinbase manager, the Everything app would come with crypto, stock, commodity and prediction markets. It would also include scaled stablecoins and payments, in addition to expanded developer onboarding via the Base chain and Base app.
“We are also making major investments in product quality and underlying automation. The goal is to make Coinbase the #1 financial app on the earth,” Armstrong wrote.
Critics have long pointed to security deficiencies. In 2025, Coinbase suffered a knowledge breach allegedly involving insiders.
“Brian still doesn't see user safety as a priority for Coinbase. This might have been prevented. A 12 months later, as a substitute of fixing this mess, leadership says, 'Please bring more lambs to my slaughterhouse,'” wrote Tay, a preferred user on X (Twitter).
Although Armstrong is concentrated on global expansion and automation in 2026, many users feel that security and customer support are still secondary.
Priorities are necessary
—Kyle Chassé (@Kylechasse) January 2, 2026
The backlash against the Base app has added to the frustration. The rebranded self-custody wallet, designed as a hybrid of trading, social feeds and messaging on 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 garbage… Their flagship product is a scam token generator,” one other user said, reflecting a widespread sentiment amongst developers who feel neglected unless they join Base’s leadership or are former Coinbase employees.
Many builders report that they feel unsupported and unsupported by base management. In a lengthy post, developer Coco argued that Coinbase is effectively competing with its own developers and favoring insiders over long-standing projects.
“Stop supporting absolute scammers… Support legitimate developers, not SouljaBoy or Sahil,” Coco wrote, highlighting the chance of top talent fleeing the ecosystem if the chain continues to prioritize internal politics over performance.
BeInCrypto recently reported on the Soulja Boy controversy, which saw backlash after Base creator Jesse Pollak endorsed a meme coin linked to the American rapper and record producer.
Retail wants a financial super app – not social experiments
Users also query Coinbase’s deal with social versus financial advantages. While Armstrong places emphasis on onboarding via the Base app, retailers argue that the corporate is neglecting the following generation of economic users.
“Retailers need to bet, bank, save, earn, trade, withdraw money, pay rent, and all the things else at the identical time…Coinbase doesn't understand this,” explained user Evfiend, citing the competitive threat posed by platforms like Robinhood that supply integrated financial services without forcing users to navigate fragmented apps.
Regulatory decisions have added to the confusion. Coinbase plans to shut down on/off ramps in Argentina, a region with high stablecoin adoption. This raises the query of whether such moves are regulatory, political or internal in nature.
Hey Brian! Why is Coinbase planning to shut down on/off ramps in Argentina considering it’s one in all the regions with the very best stablecoin usage on the earth? Is this mainly attributable to regulatory or political constraints or is it more of an internal decision? A bit surprising considering…
— Criptolawyer (@criptolawyer) January 2, 2026
Finally, analysts and users also point to a discrepancy between the roadmap and implementation, with implementation still falling short up to now. This affects unequal token listings and opaque decisions on the Base chain.
Longtime grassroots builders agree, describing an “uneven, unfair playground” where merit is usually secondary to internal focus. Many users find Armstrong's playbook repetitive and unrelated to the needs of the community.
“They've been running the identical playbook for a very long time… The shit they are saying doesn't match the shit they do,” Rbdreik tweeted, citing the growing credibility gap amongst each retail users and developers.
Despite these criticisms, some see potential in Coinbase's vision for 2026. Users recognize the Base chain's promise for on-chain payments and retail adoption, and the Base app could eventually streamline social trading if the implementation aligns with the needs of the community.
However, without addressing security, developer trust, and the gap between ambition and performance, Coinbase risks alienating the very users its roadmap is designed to draw.
As Armstrong pushes for a world “all the things exchange,” critics argue that Coinbase must first prove it will possibly secure, support, and strengthen its existing base before betting on the long run of on-chain social finance.
Until then, 2026 might be a promising but in addition growing 12 months of skepticism.
The post Here Are All the Reasons Coinbase's Vision for 2026 Isn't Winning Fans appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Article source: beincrypto.com
The post Here Are All the Reasons Coinbase's Vision for 2026 Isn't Winning Fans appeared first on Crypto Adventure.
