Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong said on January 20 that tokenization levels the playing field in finance, giving everyone, regardless of location or income, access to the world’s most lucrative market. He presented an argument for X, arguing that converting assets into digital tokens could ultimately make global wealth creation more equitable.
Armstrong quotes blog post released This blog post highlights the widening gap between labor and capital income in the United States, revealing that real capital income per capita has increased by 136% since the 1990s. By comparison, labor incomes increased by 57%, highlighting that investment returns significantly outpace employment returns.
The data also revealed that economic growth is dominated by wealth creation through capital, stocks, real estate and other assets, leaving wage earners behind.
Coinbase claims tokenization is key to accessing wealth
There is a fundamental problem with global wealth creation.
– Capital markets overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy
– Growth in earned income is significantly faster than capital income.
– Most people cannot participate in the best financial markets or have given up on participating.Everyone should do the same… pic.twitter.com/AjP2wOVztb
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) January 20, 2026
According to Coinbase, wealth inequality is driven by access to financial markets, not income. Cryptocurrency exchanges have revealed that approximately 4 billion adults around the world do not have access to bonds or stocks. Only 17% of America’s lowest-income households own stocks, compared to 96% of the highest-income households.
The Coinbase report said that in many emerging markets, equity ownership rates are often below 10%, indicating that being locked out of capital markets is a bigger barrier to wealth than low income alone. This lack of access is compounded by other barriers such as high minimum investment requirements and complex onboarding processes, leaving many unable to take advantage of wealth-building opportunities.
The digital asset platform argued that to achieve true financial freedom, in addition to receiving a paycheck, you must be able to save, invest, and expand with the economy. These barriers limit general prosperity, deepen social differences, and create structural gaps between the capital rich and the capital poor.
To address this gap, Coinbase went on to reveal that tokenization is a way to achieve economic freedom through connected payments to international capital markets, giving everyone more access to wealth accumulation opportunities. The digital asset platform noted that this approach aims to extend the benefits of technological breakthroughs to everyone, not just financial innovators.
Additionally, crypto exchanges said there is a transformative opportunity in extending technological frameworks to traditional assets themselves, such as tokenizing stocks, bonds, and other assets on permissionless blockchains.
Coinbase too noticed Tokenized stock markets could reduce transaction costs by more than 30% for investors in the near term, with much greater benefits in the long term. But the real effect is not just cheaper markets, but greater participation and a broader distribution of wealth.
Coinbase argued that tokenization makes assets easier to move and access globally.
In its report, Coinbase mentioned stablecoins as another avenue to expand capital. In particular, stablecoins have already demonstrated their usefulness as cheap 24/7 payment methods. However, according to Coinbase, stablecoins are just the foundation.
Coinbase also highlighted that B2B payments have grown from less than $100 million per month in early 2023 to more than $6.4 billion by August last year, marking a shift from experimentation to embeddedness in basic financial operations.
Coinbase identifies technology and policies in financial inclusion
Coinbase explained that technology is an essential element in addressing fiscal inequality. Policymakers also need to intervene to promote economic freedom and help more people build wealth.
Cryptocurrency exchanges said technology and policymaker intervention require a favorable regulatory framework that supports innovation while ensuring consumer protection.
To address financial disparities, Coinbase proposed that regulators allow banks to engage in tokenization technology, establish transparent pathways for tokenizing traditional assets, and maintain the neutrality of public blockchains.
Cryptocurrency exchanges also pointed out that establishing an inclusive financial ecosystem requires strengthening market protection and allowing self-custody rights.
