Base Abandons Optimistic Rollups, Bets $12B on Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network backed by Coinbase and holding around $12 billion in total capital, is shifting its security model to rely on zero-knowledge proofs. The move replaces the multi-day challenge window tied to optimistic rollups with cryptographic finality, cutting the time it takes for transactions to settle from several days to one day.
The network will use a trusted execution environment combined with ZK proofs to secure chain finality, according to Base's team. This change leverages Succinct Labs' SP1, an open-source zkVM that generates succinct ZK proofs of arbitrary Rust-based computation.
Vitalik Buterin has predicted that zero-knowledge proofs will become the dominant proving method for Ethereum between 2027 and 2030. Wilson Cussak, head of Base Chain, said the upgrade is meant to deepen the network's security and resiliency as activity grows.