Coinbase Embraces Advertising and Strategic AI Moves Amid Industry Challenges

Coinbase is expanding into advertising, viewing it as a strategic growth tool rather than a privacy concern. According to Antonio García Martínez, CEO of Spindl—which Coinbase acquired last year—any media or interface that earns fees through user onchain activity qualifies as advertising. Martinez emphasizes that many users accept sponsored content or referral codes without realizing they're ads, highlighting the industry's broader approach to advertising as a core growth driver in crypto. Meanwhile, Etsy faces challenges despite its positive Q2 earnings, with a 3.8% revenue increase to $672.7 million and user numbers dropping by 3.4% year-over-year to 93.3 million. The company is exploring advertising strategies aimed at AI-driven buyers, but concerns exist about the quality of AI-generated inventory, which includes fake products and AI-created patterns. On the AI front, Meta is actively pursuing partnerships and acquisitions to enhance its AI content creation capabilities. Recent discussions involved companies like Higgsfield and Runway, although no deals materialized. Meta's acquisitions—such as voice AI startup PlayAI—and collaborations aim to develop advanced AI tools for ad...