Base Breaks Free: Coinbase-Backed Ethereum Network Ditches Optimism Infrastructure
Base, an Ethereum (ETH) Layer 2 network backed by Coinbase, has announced it is moving away from Optimism's OP Stack infrastructure. The decision aims to reduce Base's reliance on external dependencies and increase its hard fork schedule from three to six per year.
The new unified stack, designated 'base/base,' consolidates previously distributed codebase elements into a single repository built on open-source components including Reth. Node operators will need to migrate from Optimism releases to Base's client software to remain compatible with future network upgrades.
Base currently holds $3.85 billion in total value locked, making it the largest blockchain in the OP Stack Superchain ecosystem. The blockchain's roadmap includes transitioning from optimistic to TEE/ZK proofs in an upcoming hard fork, with subsequent releases planned to implement Ethereum's Fusaka and Glamsterdam upgrades.
Optimism's OP token declined 4% in the 24 hours following the announcement. Base will maintain compatibility with OP Stack specifications during the transition period and continue supporting existing RPC endpoints including those in the Optimism namespace.