Jesse Pollak, the co-founder and creator of the Coinbase-backed Ethereum Layer 2 network Base, has publicly and firmly rejected community calls for the platform's team to secretly intervene in token prices. In a statement on X, Pollak declared that the Base core team will not "support the chart behind the scenes," directly addressing traders who have urged the network to use internal capital to pump specific tokens.
Pollak argued that any private coordination or deployment of funds to drive asset prices toward a desired outcome would be illegal, undermine trust in the ecosystem, violate Base's commitment to free and open markets, and disadvantage other tokens. He emphasized that while Base will continue to improve visibility and distribution for applications built on its network, price discovery must remain organic and transparent.
The comments come amid growing frustration among some traders who argue that Base lacks a breakout token capable of attracting sustained speculative interest and reaching hundreds of millions in market capitalization. This has led to suggestions from some community members to shift attention to other blockchain networks.
Pollak acknowledged these frustrations but countered that market manipulation ultimately leads to recurring losses, whereas fair markets allow participants to learn, adapt, and prosper. He drew a clear line between legitimate promotion and illegal manipulation, stating that secret price inflation is incompatible with Base's role as open infrastructure and with Coinbase's obligations as a U.S.-regulated public company.
The debate has also revived scrutiny of past incidents, such as a 2025 episode where Base's official account posted "Base is for everyone," which was then tokenized on Zora. While Base called it a creative experiment, it fueled accusations of implicit endorsement. The platform has been a hotspot for pump-and-dump schemes due to its low costs and fast execution, with research indicating a significant share of new tokens had security flaws or malicious features like honeypot contracts.
Pollak's stance aims to distance Base from these practices while leaving room for transparent incentives. He suggested that open systems, such as public competitions or clearly defined liquidity programs, could be explored if implemented fairly.
