How Coinbase Used Code Connect To Shrink Token Costs
Source
figma.com
Author
Figma Blog
Date
Why it matters
Giving a coding AI agentAn AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.Full definition → a mapping to your real production components cut tokenThe chunk of text a model reads and writes in — roughly three-quarters of a word — and the unit AI usage is billed in.Full definition → and time by roughly a fifth in Coinbase's evaluation while improving code quality. This is evidence for investing in agent-facing design-system context windowThe maximum amount of text a model can consider at once — its working memory for the current conversation or task.Full definition →.
Terms in this piece · Glossary
MCP — The Model Context Protocol — an open standard that lets any AI assistant plug into any tool or data source without custom integration code.
AI agent — An AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.
token — The chunk of text a model reads and writes in — roughly three-quarters of a word — and the unit AI usage is billed in.
context window — The maximum amount of text a model can consider at once — its working memory for the current conversation or task.
