Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is exploring different paths for the new Base App, wondering whether the focus should be on finance, social features, or both.
In a December 18 post, Armstrong noted that the platform currently functions as both a wallet and a social hub. However, he also admitted that he hears differing opinions on whether this is the right direction for the app.
“Should the Base app focus on being a self-governing version of Coinbase (trading and financial services focused) or focus on content/creator coins and social? (Or is this a false dichotomy.) This is a key question I heard from people coming out of the product event yesterday,” Armstrong said, referring to the Coinbase System Update 2025, where the exchange unveiled a series of new products.
“The Base app is the front door to the onchain economy, bringing together the best of defi and new social fi tools. We’re not choosing one path over the other; we’re building a home where both can thrive. We’re excited to see how the community shapes this journey as we deliver seamless onchain experiences for the next billion users,” a Base spokesperson told The Defiant.
A new look at the Super app
The Base app marks a significant change from Coinbase Wallet, which was previously a standalone, self-managed wallet. Over the summer, the exchange rebranded Coinbase Wallet as an “everything app” that combines wallet features with trading and social feeds.
The idea, as Coinbase’s CEO previously explained, was to create a “super app,” like the apps popular in Asia such as WeChat and Alipay, which offer multiple services in one app.
Armstrong’s question to the community comes just a few weeks after Farcaster, a blockchain-based social protocol co-founded by Coinbase alumni, announced a pivot from a social network-first strategy to focus more on on-chain trading.
Farcaster co-founder Dan Romero said the team decided to double down on funding after concluding that a social-first approach had not delivered sustainable growth.