Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is again within the information as he as soon as once more selected the sincere method as a substitute of the polished company one, making it clear that working on the main U.S. cryptocurrency alternate shouldn’t be for everybody and that the corporate goes out of its method to be clear about this throughout hiring.
In accordance with Armstrong, the problem shouldn’t be hidden or sugarcoated, as a result of the blue alternate would relatively preserve away those that need consolation than cope with cultural mismatch later, and whereas that honesty can delay some candidates, it has additionally constructed a crew of people who find themselves tied collectively by mission as a substitute of comfort.
It’s necessary to be very sincere upfront with what a job is (and isn’t). In any other case you find yourself bringing individuals in that don’t truly wish to work there.
Working at Coinbase is difficult. We point out this quite a bit through the hiring course of. It scares some individuals away, however that is truly… pic.twitter.com/bg62gxjj4J
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) October 18, 2025
The interior slogan introduced on the alternate’s web site spells it out in even fewer phrases: “Working at Coinbase is not for the faint of coronary heart.”
Is Coinbase stepping stone?
This difficult surroundings has formed Coinbase right into a “founder manufacturing unit,” outlines Armstrong. Many who spend years there go away disillusioned however outfitted with information, contacts and confidence for his or her subsequent enterprise.
Curiously, he framed this as a supply of satisfaction, not mind drain. That is comprehensible if you happen to take a look at the profession routes of Armstrong himself, who began Coinbase by means of the Y Combinator accelerator program — the legendary startup hub.
With brutal honesty, Coinbase shouldn’t be making an attempt to promote itself as a straightforward possibility for job seekers. It’s making it clear that anybody who joins ought to count on to be challenged, examined and presumably reworked by the expertise. Those that can deal with that strain might properly discover that it’s the most significant stage of their profession, in accordance with the CEO.
