When a company as influential as Coinbase enters a new area of crypto infrastructure, the industry pays attention. Earlier this year, Coinbase introduced Base, a Layer-2 blockchain built to scale Ethereum. It’s still early, but the launch signals something much bigger than another L2 joining the race. It hints at how Coinbase envisions the future of on-chain activity.

If you’re curious about what Base is, how it works, and what you can do with it today, this guide walks you through everything worth knowing at this stage.

Base is a secure, low-cost, developer-focused Layer-2 network built on top of Ethereum. Incubated inside Coinbase, it inherits Ethereum’s security while offering faster, cheaper transactions.

But the long-term vision extends far beyond internal development. Coinbase plans for Base to become a progressively decentralized network—ultimately operating as a permissionless, open ecosystem rather than a corporate product. In their words, decentralization is essential for building “an open, global cryptoeconomy that is accessible to everyone.”

In short: Base is Coinbase’s bet on a future where Ethereum scales through L2s—without sacrificing the values of decentralization.

If you want to explore Base today, the Goerli test network is where most experimentation happens. Adding it to your wallet is straightforward:

• Network Name: Base Goerli

• RPC URL: https://goerli.base.org

• Chain ID: 84531

• Currency Symbol: ETH

• Block Explorer: https://goerli.basescan.org

This testnet allows developers to deploy contracts and simulate activity before the mainnet ecosystem becomes fully active.

To interact with the Base Goerli network, you’ll need test ETH. Coinbase provides one of the simplest faucets available, letting you request small amounts needed for test transactions.

These tokens have no monetary value—they’re purely for development and exploration.

In its early phase, Base only supports bridging a handful of assets between Goerli and its own test environment, including:

• ETH

• cbETH

• wBTC

Bridging is available through the official interface at:
https://bridge.base.org

As the ecosystem matures, asset support is expected to expand quickly.

If you enjoy watching a blockchain come alive block by block, BaseScan is the place to start. It’s the official block explorer for Base’s test environment:

https://goerli.basescan.org

You can inspect transactions, contracts, validators, and general network activity—though things are still relatively quiet as the ecosystem grows.

One of the biggest questions surrounding any new L2 is whether it will introduce a token. Coinbase has not announced anything yet. Instead, they’ve emphasized something else: collaborative decentralization.

Base is built on the OP Stack, the same open-source framework that powers Optimism. Coinbase will now join Optimism as a core contributor to the stack—positioning Base as a major player in the shared ecosystem of OP-powered chains.

No token has been confirmed, but the underlying architecture leaves room for one in the future. In crypto, speculation is inevitable, but clarity will only come from Coinbase itself.

Coinbase has outlined a multi-stage roadmap for Base’s evolution:

• Stage 0 → Stage 1 (planned for 2023):
  Increased transparency and partial decentralization.

• Stage 1 → Stage 2 (planned for 2024):
  A shift toward full decentralization, making the network self-sustaining.

This gradual approach mirrors the ethos of the OP Stack—prioritizing safety, scalability, and decentralization in clear phases.

Coinbase also emphasizes the role of community builders and early adopters in shaping the ecosystem. As the network grows, contributions from developers, creators, and users will define Base’s identity.

It’s still too early to know exactly how Base will rank among the rapidly expanding list of Ethereum Layer-2 solutions. The competition is fierce, and innovation moves fast.

But one thing is certain: Base enters the market with unparalleled advantages—the backing of Coinbase’s resources, reputation, and massive user base. Even before the network fully blooms, it has already become one of the most anticipated L2s in the industry.

Will Base dominate? Will it launch a token? Time will tell.

But if Coinbase’s track record is any indicator, this is a project worth watching closely.

When a company as influential as Coinbase enters a new area of crypto infrastructure, the industry pays attention. Earlier this year, Coinbase introduced Base, a Layer-2 blockchain built to scale Ethereum. It’s still early, but the launch signals something much bigger than another L2 joining the race. It hints at how Coinbase envisions the future of on-chain activity.

If you’re curious about what Base is, how it works, and what you can do with it today, this guide walks you through everything worth knowing at this stage.

Base is a secure, low-cost, developer-focused Layer-2 network built on top of Ethereum. Incubated inside Coinbase, it inherits Ethereum’s security while offering faster, cheaper transactions.

But the long-term vision extends far beyond internal development. Coinbase plans for Base to become a progressively decentralized network—ultimately operating as a permissionless, open ecosystem rather than a corporate product. In their words, decentralization is essential for building “an open, global cryptoeconomy that is accessible to everyone.”

In short: Base is Coinbase’s bet on a future where Ethereum scales through L2s—without sacrificing the values of decentralization.

If you want to explore Base today, the Goerli test network is where most experimentation happens. Adding it to your wallet is straightforward:

• Network Name: Base Goerli

• RPC URL: https://goerli.base.org

• Chain ID: 84531

• Currency Symbol: ETH

• Block Explorer: https://goerli.basescan.org

This testnet allows developers to deploy contracts and simulate activity before the mainnet ecosystem becomes fully active.

To interact with the Base Goerli network, you’ll need test ETH. Coinbase provides one of the simplest faucets available, letting you request small amounts needed for test transactions.

These tokens have no monetary value—they’re purely for development and exploration.

In its early phase, Base only supports bridging a handful of assets between Goerli and its own test environment, including:

• ETH

• cbETH

• wBTC

Bridging is available through the official interface at:
https://bridge.base.org

As the ecosystem matures, asset support is expected to expand quickly.

If you enjoy watching a blockchain come alive block by block, BaseScan is the place to start. It’s the official block explorer for Base’s test environment:

https://goerli.basescan.org

You can inspect transactions, contracts, validators, and general network activity—though things are still relatively quiet as the ecosystem grows.

One of the biggest questions surrounding any new L2 is whether it will introduce a token. Coinbase has not announced anything yet. Instead, they’ve emphasized something else: collaborative decentralization.

Base is built on the OP Stack, the same open-source framework that powers Optimism. Coinbase will now join Optimism as a core contributor to the stack—positioning Base as a major player in the shared ecosystem of OP-powered chains.

No token has been confirmed, but the underlying architecture leaves room for one in the future. In crypto, speculation is inevitable, but clarity will only come from Coinbase itself.

Coinbase has outlined a multi-stage roadmap for Base’s evolution:

• Stage 0 → Stage 1 (planned for 2023):
  Increased transparency and partial decentralization.

• Stage 1 → Stage 2 (planned for 2024):
  A shift toward full decentralization, making the network self-sustaining.

This gradual approach mirrors the ethos of the OP Stack—prioritizing safety, scalability, and decentralization in clear phases.

Coinbase also emphasizes the role of community builders and early adopters in shaping the ecosystem. As the network grows, contributions from developers, creators, and users will define Base’s identity.

It’s still too early to know exactly how Base will rank among the rapidly expanding list of Ethereum Layer-2 solutions. The competition is fierce, and innovation moves fast.

But one thing is certain: Base enters the market with unparalleled advantages—the backing of Coinbase’s resources, reputation, and massive user base. Even before the network fully blooms, it has already become one of the most anticipated L2s in the industry.

Will Base dominate? Will it launch a token? Time will tell.

But if Coinbase’s track record is any indicator, this is a project worth watching closely.