Coinbase names new CTO after 14% workforce cut

Coinbase appointed Rob Witoff as chief technology officer on July 28, bringing an early company engineer into the role as the U.S. crypto exchange expands AI-assisted product development. Summary Coinbase appointed longtime engineer Rob Witoff as chief technology officer, confirming the leadership change Tuesday. Witoff first joined Coinbase in 2014, returning as platform head in December 2024 after entrepreneurship. Coinbase cut approximately 14% of employees in May while rebuilding teams around AI-assisted workflows companywide. Coinbase’s official leadership page now lists Witoff as CTO. Chief Executive Brian Armstrong announced the appointment on X and credited Witoff with helping turn Coinbase into “one of the most AI-enabled companies in the world.” That description is Armstrong’s assessment rather than an independently measured ranking. Rob Witoff returns to a role shaped by Coinbase’s early years Witoff first joined Coinbase in 2014 and worked there until 2017. Coinbase said he led security and infrastructure, became chief architect and helped build some of the exchange’s earliest systems. He later founded institutional crypto custody company Unit 410, which Coinbase acquir...