Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong calls the US-accredited investor rules regressive, proposing a financial literacy test or full removal.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is calling for a major overhaul of US accredited investor laws. Armstrong argues that these rules, built to protect everyday investors, now do the opposite.
Companies are staying private much longer today. That means retail investors only get in after an IPO, when most of the gains are already gone.
Armstrong called it a “regressive tax” that benefits the already wealthy.
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Armstrong Says the Rules Favor the Rich
Armstrong posted his argument directly on X, framing it as a policy outcomes issue. He acknowledged the original intent behind the rules was noble but said good intentions are not enough.
In his words, the rules have made it “illegal to get richer, unless you’re already rich.” Accredited investor status in the US currently requires either a high income or significant net worth. That bars most Americans from investing in private companies during their high-growth phase.
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, backed Armstrong’s view publicly.
Luckey called the term itself a form of elitism. He pointed out that “accreditation” in this case has nothing to do with knowledge or skill. It simply reflects inherited or accumulated wealth. Luckey noted the rules felt unfair to him when he was earning minimum wage.
Even the name itself is sickly sweet elitism.
“Accredited investor”. Wow, amazing, what kind of accreditation? Oh, your grandpa made a bunch of money, so you get special privileges that most Americans don’t have.
It was awful when I was making minimum wage and now.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) June 16, 2026
Two Fixes Armstrong Is Proposing
Armstrong laid out two specific paths forward.
The first involves replacing wealth thresholds with a financial literacy test. Pass the test, and investors qualify. That shifts the standard from bank balance to competency. The second option is removing the restriction entirely.
Disclosure requirements and fraud enforcement would stay in place. Armstrong says that keeps protections while opening access to all consenting adults.
Replies to Armstrong’s post highlighted a well-known inconsistency. Retail investors currently have unrestricted access to options trading, crypto, and gambling.
Yet they cannot invest in early-stage private companies. That contrast has fueled criticism of the current framework for years.
Armstrong Also Reaffirms Bitcoin Conviction
Separately, Armstrong reiterated a strong personal conviction in Bitcoin.
He posted that he remains long on BTC and is “as bullish as ever.” He referenced Bitcoin’s four-year market cycles and suggested prices likely bottomed around the $60,000 level.
I’m as bullish as ever on Bitcoin, and still long (as always).
It’s never as good or bad as it seems. pic.twitter.com/AeRmUJsNt3
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) June 15, 2026
Besides, he stopped short of making any firm price call. Armstrong added that he expects Bitcoin to reach a significantly higher price by 2030, describing it as “the new digital gold” and a key part of the future economy.
The post Coinbase CEO Pushes to End Investor Rules, Stays Bullish on Bitcoin appeared first on Live Bitcoin News.
