Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong spars with French central banker over Bitcoin at Davos 2026

At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly debated French central bank chief François Villeroy de Galhau over whether Bitcoin or central banks better safeguard monetary independence. Armstrong argued that Bitcoin's decentralized design makes it more independent than state institutions, while later accusing U.S. banking lobbies of using stalled stablecoin legislation to stifle crypto competition. Hedge fund veteran Ray Dalio separately warned of a breakdown in the monetary system as investors increasingly look to Bitcoin and gold and seized Bitcoin is moved into U.S. strategic reserves.