Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, said the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by President Donald Trump could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform the bloated US government apparatus.
“DOGE is an opportunity to increase economic freedom in the United States and reduce the size of government back to a healthy level,” he declared.
Brian also floated some ideas. One of them was to cap government spending at 10% of GDP through a constitutional amendment. “The founders were geniuses,” he said, “but they may have underestimated how democratic governments naturally develop over time by promising free stuff to win elections.”
To prevent that, he proposes aligning incentives—perhaps even punishing members of Congress who pass unbalanced budgets by barring them from running for reelection. Another idea? A US sovereign wealth fund, where every citizen would get a share and any budget surplus would pay dividends.
“Everyone has skin in the game,” Brian explained, adding that Congress could take a larger stake to ensure fiscal discipline.
Trump picks Elon and Ramaswamy for DOGE
Just a week after winning his second term, Trump announced DOGE as part of his plan to cut federal waste. He appointed two disruptive billionaires to spearhead it: Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump made it clear that he expects results, describing DOGE as a tool to “cut redundant regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.”
DOGE is not an official part of the government, which has left many wondering how much authority Elon and Ramaswamy actually have. After all, Congress controls federal spending. But Trump's choices are anything but subtle.
Elon's X bio now reads, "The people voted for big government reform." Ramaswamy didn't hold back. At an event at Mar-a-Lago hosted by the America First policy institute, he electrified the crowd with his no-holds-barred plans: "We're going to kick millions of unelected officials out of DC. Elon didn't bring a chisel; he brought a chainsaw. It's going to be fun."
According to Trump, the initiative must be completed by July 4, 2026—America’s 250th birthday. That tight deadline leaves many unanswered questions. Who is funding DOGE? Are Elon or Ramaswamy actually not being compensated for their services in any way?
So far, the Trump campaign has been relatively quiet. An official DOGE account on X recently announced that it was recruiting “high-IQ small-government revolutionaries” willing to work 80+ hours a week for free. Elon chimed in with his usual style: “Compensation is zero.”
DOGE Rides the D.O.G.E Wave
While DOGE may be focused on cutting government waste, the cryptocurrency it so boldly refers to is also having its moment.
Dogecoin has surged in value since Trump announced the initiative, trading at $0.38—a threefold increase over the past month. Daily trading volume reached $21.7 billion.
Trump's cheerleading for Dogecoin in the DOGE initiative certainly fueled its rise. Of course, Elon remains a central figure in Dogecoin's revival.
His support, amplified by his role in DOGE, has sparked interest from both retail and institutional investors. Analysts predict Dogecoin could continue to be volatile, with a potential price of $0.50 by inauguration day.
Dogecoin's market capitalization currently stands at $52.38 billion, making it one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies. Its daily price fluctuations range from $0.34 to $0.38.
