Updated on:12/06/2025 05:22 PM 
The pursuit of a financial future characterized by instantaneous, borderless, and universally accessible cryptocurrency transactions has sparked intense discussion among prominent figures in the digital asset ecosystem regarding the optimal strategy to realize this ambitious objective.
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, recently outlined how the cryptocurrency sector, including his own platform, is concentrating on implementing layer 2 scaling solutions, improving fiat on-ramp mechanisms, and simplifying user interfaces to reduce average transaction costs below one cent and decrease confirmation times to under one second.
Armstrong emphasized, "Payments function like water, naturally gravitating toward the least resistant path," suggesting an ongoing competition among various blockchain networks to emerge as the preferred infrastructure for these financial operations.
Coinbase revealed its proprietary Ethereum Layer 2 solution in February, which utilizes ETH as its native gas token and operates as a "modular, rollup agnostic Superchain backed by Optimism technology."
Armstrong's statements, however, triggered varied reactions across the cryptocurrency community on social platforms, particularly when he made additional remarks that appeared to overlook certain blockchain technologies.
Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, promoted Bitcoin and its Lightning Network layer-2 solution as a superior alternative. He expressed concern over Armstrong's apparent exclusion of Bitcoin from his envisioned framework for the future of cryptocurrency payments.
In contrast, Anatoly Yakovenko, founder of Solana Labs, countered that USDC stablecoin transactions on Solana offer "superior speed and affordability compared to Bitcoin and Lightning Network," positioning it as the preferred digital currency for global adoption with median confirmation times of just 1.3 seconds.
Additional voices entered the discourse as Emin Gün Sirer, founder of Ava Labs, supported Yakovenko's viewpoint, highlighting that Avalanche already enables instant worldwide payments through its "sub-second finality, reduced fee structure," and ongoing enhancements to make these transactions more "interoperable and adaptable."
Meanwhile, Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, aligned with Dorsey's position, advocating for the integration of Bitcoin's Lightning Network. Mike Dudas, co-founder of The Block, observed that Armstrong's Coinbase operates the largest validator node on Solana, where rapid, economical transactions are already commonplace, implying a potential conflict of interest in Armstrong's assessment.
The ongoing dialogue within Armstrong's discussion thread illuminates an industry still navigating the most effective route toward widespread cryptocurrency payment adoption. The gap between technological capability and mainstream implementation persists, as Ethereum's established network effect potentially impedes the progress of innovative solutions on competing blockchain platforms.
Currently, the competing assertions from influential founders create a dynamic landscape of emerging alternatives, all striving to achieve the optimal balance of transaction speed, economic efficiency, and worldwide acceptance for digital currencies.
