Base Breaks Free from Optimism's Infrastructure with Independent Tech Stack

Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network backed by Coinbase, has moved to an independent tech stack, reducing its reliance on Optimism's infrastructure. This change allows Base to consolidate its codebase into a single repository built on open-source components like Reth.

The migration is expected to increase the frequency of hard forks from three to six per year and will also replace Optimism's signer with an independent one. Base currently holds $3.85 billion in total value locked, making it the largest blockchain within the OP Stack Superchain ecosystem.

Optimism's OP token experienced a 4% decline in the 24 hours following the announcement. Despite this, Optimism remains committed to supporting Base through its OP Enterprise program. The roadmap for Base includes transitioning from optimistic to TEE/ZK proofs and implementing Ethereum's Fusaka and Glamsterdam upgrades.

Base will maintain compatibility with OP Stack specifications during the transition period and continue to support existing RPC endpoints. In a statement, Optimism said that it remains focused on delivering enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure while supporting Base's development of independent infrastructure.