What is Base?
An Ethereum L2 built by Coinbase, designed for the next billion onchain users.
The one-line version
Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 built by Coinbase using the OP Stack. It inherits Ethereum security, runs the same EVM, and offers dramatically cheaper transactions.
Why it matters
Base is the on-ramp for Coinbase's ~100M users into onchain apps. That distribution, paired with low fees and Coinbase-grade tooling (Smart Wallet, Basenames, OnchainKit), makes it a default home for new consumer crypto products.
- Transactions cost cents, not dollars
- Fully EVM-compatible — Solidity contracts work as-is
- Strong builder community and grants programs
- Native bridge to Ethereum + canonical USDC
How it differs from competitors
Base is not chasing the absolute lowest fees or highest TPS. It is optimized for consumer UX: passkey wallets, gasless flows, identity primitives (Basenames), and tight integration with Coinbase rails for fiat on/off.
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