Brian Armstrong, one of the founders and CEO of Coinbase, was removed from Bloomberg’s list of the 500 richest people in the world. The rapid decline in Armstrong’s personal fortune is associated with the serious decline in both Coinbase shares and the price of Bitcoin in recent months. It is stated that his wealth has decreased by over $10 billion since July 2025 and is currently down to approximately $7.5 billion.
Drastic Falls in the Wealth of Crypto Leaders
Coinbase’s publicly traded shares have lost nearly 60 percent of their value since their peak on July 18, moving in tandem with Bitcoin price volatility. Bitcoin has also fallen by almost 50 percent since its historical record of $126,000 in early October 2025, falling below $63,000. Armstrong’s fortune was directly affected by this decline, especially since it was tied to his 14 percent share of Coinbase shares.
Not only Armstrong, but other notable entrepreneurs in the crypto industry have similarly seen heavy losses in their fortunes. The fortunes of Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss decreased from $8.2 billion in October 2025 to $1.9 billion. During this period, Gemini decided to lay off approximately 25 percent of its staff and terminate some of its international operations. The fortune of Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz also dropped to $6.2 billion as a result of the $500 million loss. The portfolio of strategy firm founder Michael Saylor also fell by nearly two-thirds, to $3.4 billion.
Coinbase Struggles to Survive Global Fluctuations
Following the selloff in crypto markets, Coinbase’s transaction volumes decreased rapidly. In the last quarter of 2025, the company’s transaction revenue is expected to decrease by around 33.5 percent on an annual basis. While the company’s off-exchange rivals have also increased trading volume, the platform has faced lower institutional demand and possible capital outflows in the US. In particular, the fact that the difference between Bitcoin prices on Coinbase and other exchanges has turned negative is considered an indication that the interest of American institutions has weakened.
Other challenges facing Coinbase include tightening regulatory scrutiny and competing platforms such as Hyperliquid. It is stated that the company needs new strategies to maintain its market share despite the decline in transaction volume and revenues.
Armstrong Maintains Faith in the Crypto Industry
Despite all this negative outlook, Armstrong stated that he sees the decline in the markets as a long-term opportunity. Armstrong thinks that cryptocurrencies are rapidly transforming financial services and that market declines should be used as an opportunity to develop new products.
Brian Armstrong emphasized that recent market fluctuations are not new for crypto, such periods have been experienced in the past and he maintains a positive outlook in the long term.
Armstrong also stated that he predicts that Bitcoin could reach $1 million by 2030. He thinks digital assets can play an important role in wealth sharing and financial innovation.
The current downturns have severely reduced Armstrong’s wealth, but his identity as a founder and major shareholder could increase his influence over the company in the long run. It is stated that Coinbase can become more effective by emerging stronger from similar crises in the past. However, it is predicted that the possibility of permanent weakness in crypto markets may test both growth and leadership strategies. Recent losses have once again shown that volatility in the crypto industry is inevitable.
