Coinbase has appointed Rob Witoff as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as the US-based crypto exchange continues to expand its use of artificial intelligence in product development.
The company confirmed the leadership change on July 28. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced the appointment and praised Witoff for helping the company become one of the most AI-focused businesses in the industry. This statement reflects Armstrong’s view and has not been independently verified.
Witoff is a longtime Coinbase engineer who first joined the company in 2014. During his early years, he worked on security, infrastructure, and architecture, helping build some of Coinbase’s first major systems. He later founded institutional crypto custody firm Unit 410, which was acquired by Coinbase.
After returning to Coinbase in December 2024 as head of platform, Witoff has now taken over the CTO role. He said his goal is to help make Coinbase one of the best places in the world to build new technology.
The appointment comes as Coinbase is making major changes around AI-powered development. In May, the company reduced its workforce by about 14%, cutting around 700 jobs while reorganising teams around AI tools and smaller work groups.
CEO Brian Armstrong said AI has helped engineers complete tasks in days that previously took weeks. The company has also been testing smaller teams that combine engineering, product, and design roles.
Coinbase has reported that most new code is now created with the help of AI and then reviewed by human engineers. The company says this approach is helping speed up development while keeping security and compliance checks in place.
As CTO, Witoff will be responsible for technology operations as Coinbase grows areas such as crypto derivatives, stablecoin payments, prediction markets, and services for AI-powered agents.
His experience in security and platform development will be important as the company focuses on improving reliability. Coinbase recently faced a service outage after a routine system update caused problems with some services, including transfers and card payments. The company said customer funds were not affected and introduced new safety measures afterward.
The CTO appointment follows another leadership change at Coinbase. Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal is leaving his role, with Molly Abraham expected to take over as general counsel.
With Witoff now leading technology, Coinbase’s next challenge will be balancing faster AI-driven development with strong security, stable services, and regulatory requirements.
