tl;dr
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly supported former staffers of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a government agency created under President Donald Trump's second term. He retweeted a viral video featuring Ethan Shaotran, a 22-year-old DOGE member, who spoke about the social backla...
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has publicly expressed support for former staffers of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a government agency established during President Donald Trump's second term.
Armstrong retweeted a viral video featuring Ethan Shaotran, a 22-year-old DOGE member, who shared the social backlash he experienced and praised the agency’s tireless work ethic. In his message, Armstrong invited ex-DOGE employees to join Coinbase via an accelerated hiring process aimed at creating a more efficient financial system.
DOGE, formerly known as the United States Digital Service, was rebranded with an ambitious goal to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. Despite this, skepticism surrounds the agency due to discrepancies in reported savings and operational controversies including a security breach and unauthorized Treasury access.
Elon Musk, once a leader of DOGE alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, distanced himself from the agency amid public protests. Musk questioned DOGE's legitimacy, highlighting its origins as a “meme coin” initiative and expressing bemusement over its governmental role.
Simultaneously, Coinbase has demonstrated growing political involvement aligned with Trump. The company contributed over $70 million to Trump-friendly crypto PACs in 2024 and incorporated Trump’s campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita into its advisory board. Notably, these moves coincided with the SEC dropping multiple lawsuits against Coinbase earlier this year.
Armstrong's open call to DOGE staff reflects a strategic effort to harness talented operatives familiar with government efficiency challenges to help innovate within the crypto-financial landscape. This invitation comes amid ongoing debates about reform, federal spending, and the intersection of cryptocurrency with political influence.