Coinbase platform head Rob Witoff revealed in an interview with Cointelegraph that more than 95% of Coinbase’s code is now written by LLMs (large language models) or completed in collaboration with them. In May, Coinbase laid off 700 employees, and in an employee email, the company said it needed to “return to startup speed and focus” with AI at the core.
Coinbase platform head: 95% to 100% of code is written by LLMs or developed in collaboration
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Rob Witoff said: “In practice, 100% of our employees use AI every day; and nearly 100% of our code—somewhere around 95% to 100%—is written by LLMs or written in partnership with them.”
This ratio is more than twice Coinbase’s February 2026 estimate of 40%, achieving a jump in just a few months. The May layoffs mainly affected many junior developer roles, but the scope of the layoffs extended to departments including marketing, legal, customer support, and compliance.
Core cryptography still relies on manual, line-by-line review; internal prototype development is 100% automated
According to the report, Witoff explained that Coinbase’s level of AI reliance varies “a lot” across different types of code:
Core cryptography: The company has industry-leading cryptographers who carefully review line by line; AI is mainly used to test and verify mathematical computations, making it human-intensive.
Internal prototype development: It has now achieved 100% automation.
Core systems: In between the two, with different degrees of involvement from AI and humans.
Witoff said: “We use a lot of AI to test and ensure that the code we write runs as expected, with no vulnerabilities, but core cryptography relies more on humans than prototype development.”
AI-driven layoff wave hits the crypto industry: multiple exchanges cut jobs
According to the report, Coinbase’s accelerated AI integration reflects a broader industry trend:
Coinbase: Laid off 700 employees in May 2026 (14%), partly due to improving AI efficiency
Crypto.com: Laid off 12% in March 2026, affecting roles that “couldn’t adapt to the new environment”
Block: CEO Jack Dorsey announced layoffs of 40% in February 2026, saying that AI tools plus a smaller, flatter team “fundamentally changed what it means to build and run a company”
Kraken, Gemini, Messari, Dune: All have laid off staff this year, with AI efficiency cited as a factor
FAQ
What percentage of Coinbase’s code is currently written by AI?
According to explanations from Coinbase platform head Rob Witoff to Cointelegraph, currently 95% to 100% of the code is written by LLMs or completed in collaboration, and 100% of employees across the company use AI every day. This ratio is more than double the estimate from February 2026 (40%).
How many employees’ work is the workload of Coinbase AI agents equivalent to?
According to reports, Coinbase engineers generally run 5-10 AI agents in parallel; in total, they have completed work equivalent to about 1,200 employee equivalents in programming. Witoff predicts that by 2030, it could reach a workload equivalent to 100,000 employees.
Why did Coinbase lay off 700 people in May 2026?
According to an employee email from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, AI has “greatly” changed the work pace, and the company needs to “return to startup speed and focus with AI at the core.” With AI integration, 2-3 people can now do work that previously took more than 10 people. The layoffs mainly affected junior developer roles and roles in departments such as marketing, legal, and customer support.
