Base Abandons Social Strategy, Focuses on Trading and Payments

Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network under Coinbase's umbrella, has shifted its focus from social applications and creator coins to trading, payments, and AI agents. This strategic U-turn comes after founder Jesse Pollak admitted that his initial approach had 'disintegrated completely.'

Pollak, who is not leaving Base entirely, handed over the reins of the consumer app to Jordan Fish, also known as Cobie, former founder of Echo. The latter was acquired by Coinbase for $375 million in 2025.

The network currently holds around $4.54 billion in total value locked and processed nearly $886 million in decentralized exchange volume in the 24-hour period surrounding Pollak's announcement. Over the preceding 30 days, this figure ballooned to $25.6 billion.