Coinbase has announced a major technological shift for its Ethereum Layer-2 network, Base. The company revealed it will be moving away from the OP Stack architecture, developed by Optimism, which it originally launched on in 2023. Instead, Base will transition to a new, unified "Base stack" structure that is entirely managed and operated by Base itself.
The announcement, detailed in a blog post titled "The Next Chapter for Base," stated that this move aims to create a simpler and more controllable infrastructure. The current model, which relied on Optimism's OP Stack and integrated features from external collaborators like Flashbots and Paradigm, had resulted in a complex structure with numerous external dependencies. The new unified stack will bring all dependencies and future innovations into a single, Base-managed codebase.
Following the news, the native token of the Optimism network, OP, experienced a sharp price drop of approximately 4% over 24 hours. The market reaction reflects concerns over the reduced direct reliance on Optimism's technology by one of its most prominent adopters.
Coinbase emphasized that the transition does not mean a complete severance of ties with Optimism. The company stated it will continue to work with Optimism for support and that Base will remain compatible with OP Stack specifications during the shift. For everyday users and developers, no immediate action is required, and existing RPCs will continue to be supported.
The primary objectives of this transformation are threefold. First, it aims to enable more frequent and controlled protocol upgrades. Instead of three major hard forks per year, Base plans to implement smaller, more frequent hard forks approximately six times annually. This is intended to mitigate risk by avoiding a buildup of changes all at once.
Second, the goal is to significantly simplify the protocol specification and codebase to a level understandable by a single developer, thereby minimizing cognitive load by focusing solely on Base's needs. Third, aligning with the philosophy that "Base wins when Ethereum wins," Coinbase plans to implement some high-impact updates on Base prior to Ethereum's Layer-1, providing valuable data for the broader Ethereum roadmap.
Base, which launched in 2023, has grown rapidly to become one of the most widely used Ethereum Layer-2 networks, currently holding $3.85 billion in total value locked (TVL). The company credited the world-class technology of the OP Stack for enabling this rapid growth but is now seeking a more independent and agile development process. More detailed technical information will be provided closer to the transition date.
