Base Abandons Optimistic Rollups for $12B Zero-Knowledge Proof Bet

Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network backed by Coinbase and holding around $12 billion in total capital, is overhauling its security model to adopt zero-knowledge proofs. The move replaces the multi-day challenge window tied to optimistic rollups with cryptographic finality, cutting the path to one-day settlement.

The network will combine a trusted execution environment with ZK proofs to secure chain finality, according to Base's team. Proofs will be generated through Succinct Labs' SP1, an open-source zkVM that produces succinct ZK proofs of arbitrary Rust-based computation.

Base is set to become the largest single Ethereum operator running ZK proofs for finality after its mainnet deployment. This shift aligns with views from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who has described zk-EVMs as Ethereum's block validation endgame.

Vitalik Buterin expects them to become the dominant proving method 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.