Something is broken about the internet. And deep down, we all feel it.

You build. They profit. You share. They own it. You show up. They take the credit.

The internet used to be open. Now, it’s fenced in by platforms with rules that favour themselves.

But what if we could build something better? Something where ownership is real. Where value flows back to the people who create it.

That’s where Base comes in. Built by Coinbase. Powered by Ethereum. It’s for you even if you’ve never touched a crypto app in your life.

And the culture? It’s community-driven. It’s for everyone. It’s Based.

Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam. It began as a platform for trading Bitcoin but later expanded to support other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Litecoin.

They pulled it off. Then they went further.

Over the years, Coinbase became a trusted place for people to buy, store, and use crypto. It became known for its user-friendly interface, regulatory compliance, and a wide range of services including crypto trading, wallet storage, and tools for merchants. By 2021, it was publicly listed on the NASDAQ.

NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. It’s the big electronic stock exchange in the U.S. where lots of tech companies, like Coinbase, list their shares for public trading. When a company lists on NASDAQ, it means its shares can be publicly bought and sold by anyone. Think of it like a huge marketplace for company ownership.

So, when Coinbase got listed on NASDAQ in 2021, it became a public company that people can invest in.

But the mission didn’t stop at trading coins.

In 2023, Coinbase launched Base - a layer-2 blockchain network built on Ethereum aimed at reducing transaction costs and improving speed.

Base was developed by Jesse Pollak, Coinbase’s Head of Protocols and VP of Engineering.

He led the launch of Base in August 2023 and now sits on Coinbase’s executive leadership team.

He also oversees Coinbase Wallet, integrating Base and the Wallet to help onboard billions of people into the onchain economy.

His vision?

A chain that brings billions onchain. Not just tech people but for everyone.

He wants the internet to feel fair again.

Built on Ethereum’s Layer 2 (L2) using Optimism’s OP Stack, Base brings the security of Ethereum, the trust of Coinbase, and the speed and low fees of L2 chains all in one place.

The main Ethereum blockchain is like a busy highway. Sometimes it gets crowded, and transactions slow down and get expensive. A Layer-2 chain is like a special express lane built on top of Ethereum. It handles transactions faster and cheaper but still relies on Ethereum for security.

Base is a Layer-2 chain, so it lets users do lots of actions quickly and cheaply, while still being safe and connected to Ethereum.

Optimism’s OP Stack is like the software toolkit or blueprint that helps developers build Layer-2 blockchains on top of Ethereum.

Think of Ethereum as the foundation (Layer 1), and Optimism created this OP Stack to make building fast, secure, and cheap Layer-2 chains easier. It provides the code and tools needed to handle lots of transactions quickly while still relying on Ethereum’s strong security.

Base was built using this OP Stack, so it benefits from Ethereum’s security and the speed and low fees that Layer-2 chains offer all backed by Coinbase’s trust.

The “OP” in Optimism’s OP Stack stands for Optimistic Rollup Protocol.

Optimistic means it assumes transactions are valid by default to speed things up.

Rollup means it bundles (or “rolls up”) lots of transactions together off the main Ethereum chain and then posts a summary back to Ethereum.

Protocol is just the set of rules that make all this work.

Imagine a classroom where the teacher (Ethereum) usually checks every student’s homework line by line. That takes a lot of time.

Now, imagine the teacher trusts the students to do their homework correctly most of the time and only checks in detail if someone raises a hand to say, “Hey, this homework looks wrong!”

So instead of checking every single homework right away, the teacher assumes everything is good (that’s the “optimistic” part). But if there’s a problem, they investigate and fix it.

This way, homework gets reviewed faster, and the teacher isn’t bogged down with checking every single detail every time.

In blockchain terms: the OP Stack bundles many transactions and trusts they are valid unless someone challenges them making things faster and cheaper while staying secure.

Base was created to work seamlessly with Coinbase’s existing infrastructure while allowing developers to build decentralized applications. To make Base more accessible, Coinbase introduced the Base app, a mobile gateway that connects users to Base’s blockchain features.

Base Isn’t Just a Chain. It’s a Movement.

A movement to restore the internet to its rightful owners: us.

Base is where builders build, creators earn and you, reading this, can post, trade, chat, and make real value without being owned.

Everything is designed around five simple ideas:

• If you create it, you should own it.

• If it’s open, it should stay open.

• If you’re online, you should be in control.

• Where you're from shouldn't limit you.

• Builders, not platforms, shape the future.

So, how do they make that happen? Let’s talk about the Base Stack.

Base isn’t one thing. It’s a set of tools built to give you power online.

Let’s break it down.

This used to be Coinbase Wallet. Now it’s much more. The Base App is an everything app. You can:

• Post content

• Trade crypto

• Chat with friends

• Discover mini apps

• Earn from your work

On the base app every post is a coin, powered by Zora.

You don’t need brand deals. You don’t need millions of followers. You can earn from day one. The feed is social. But it’s also financial. You see what your network is trading. You trade straight from the feed. Play games, send money, get rewards - all in one place.

Chatting on the base app isn’t just messaging. It’s smart, secure and powered by XMTP.

XMTP stands for Extensible Message Transport Protocol.

It's a decentralized messaging protocol that allows apps to send secure, private, and encrypted messages on the blockchain.

It means conversations aren’t controlled by any single company, the users own their messages and data.

So, when Base uses XMTP for chat, it ensures your messages are private, encrypted end-to-end, and connected directly to your blockchain identity, allowing things like sending crypto inside chats or interacting with smart contracts all safely and privately.

You can create group chats, send money,pin apps, or just talk. All inside one private, secure space.

This is the tech backbone. Base is built on Ethereum. It’s part of the Superchain. It’s fast, cheap, and scalable. Transactions are faster than a second. Cost? Often zero, usually less than a cent.

Builders are using Base chain to launch real-world apps. From ideas and concepts to apps people really use. This chain is made for scalability. And it’s growing explosively.

When you sign up for the Base App, you get a Base Account. This account is your online passport. It lets you sign in across apps and chains. Your data is yours. Your identity is yours. And it follows you anywhere.

You can manage your Base Account from the app or from account.base.app.

It’s simple, seamless and owned by you.

Base Pay is the new way to check out with USDC. It’s fast, cheap and global.

You can pay online or in person using tap-to-pay.

Shopify merchants are already using it. Customers in the U.S. can even get cashbacks with no cost to the seller. Merchants get paid in their own currency. No exchange stress. No hidden charges.

• Post content you own.

• Earn from every post.

• Chat with friends and share money.

• Swap tokens directly from your feed.

• Discover mini apps in one tap.

• Use AI agents to trade or manage your portfolio.

Everything is connected. No extra tabs. No app switching.

Nearly two years in, Base is already: helping creators earn faster, powering apps with real users and making payments seamless.

The Base App is rolling out now. The waitlist is open. Sign up and get access to: The Base App, Base Account and Base Pay - all in one place.

In conclusion, the old internet made you the product. Now, this new one makes you the owner. Welcome to Base

Brought to you by Kreative Elite.