- BRIAN’s market value climbed from below $1 million to about $37 million after Armstrong briefly changed his X profile picture.
- BRIAN later lost more than 90% of its market value within hours after Armstrong restored his usual CryptoPunk profile image.
- Armstrong said his posts, memes, and profile pictures do not represent endorsements, commitments, or investment signals.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong told traders not to treat his X activity as investment guidance. His clarification followed a sharp rally and collapse in BRIAN, a Base meme coin linked to his profile picture change.
Armstrong said his posts and profile images do not represent endorsements, commitments, or signals for individual tokens. He added that he may not know whether a coin is connected to content he shares.
Profile Picture Change Sends BRIAN Higher
BRIAN, officially named Coinbase Man, surged after Armstrong briefly changed his X profile picture to a cartoon mascot. Traders interpreted the change as possible support, although Armstrong and Coinbase never endorsed the token.
Its market capitalization climbed from below $1 million to about $37 million within hours. Buyers followed the profile change and pushed the token roughly 37 times higher.
Developers had sent about 80% of BRIAN’s one billion token supply to Armstrong’s wallet at launch. Armstrong later restored his CryptoPunk profile picture, and the rally reversed soon afterward.
BRIAN’s market capitalization then fell by more than 90% to around $1.3 million. Meanwhile, 24-hour trading volume remained near $12 million as traders continued exchanging the token.
Armstrong said users should assume his personal posts are unrelated to any linked token. Anyone using his account as market “alpha” acts at their own risk, he added.
Armstrong Explains Coinbase and Base Support
Armstrong also addressed complaints that Coinbase and Base do not support ecosystem projects enough. He said compliance and regulatory limits prevent Coinbase from listing every token it may want to add.
Moreover, he rejected calls for himself or Base creator Jesse Pollak to promote specific coins. Armstrong said neither executive would “pump” user holdings or market selected tokens.
He instead outlined the support available to Base builders. Base runs in-person Base Batches and provides grants to projects with strong development potential.
Coinbase Ventures and the Base Ecosystem Fund also invest in selected companies building on the network. Additionally, Coinbase periodically integrates Base decentralized finance protocols into its products.
Those integrations can provide wider distribution through Coinbase services. Nevertheless, Armstrong said occasional social media mentions should not count as investment advice.
Related: Brian Armstrong Explains Base’s Shift From Content Coins to AI
Base Focus Extends Beyond Meme Coins
Armstrong described Base as infrastructure for broader financial services. He listed tokenized stocks, lending protocols, stablecoin payments, and meme coin trading.
He said he supports users trading assets of their choice under economic freedom. Even so, he advised traders against relying on personal posts for investment decisions.
Armstrong added that Base generally supports projects expected to create long-term customer value. He also said he may continue posting memes he finds interesting or funny.
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