Base Ships Cobalt with Seize Function and ESMA Proposes DeFi Regulations

Base has released Cobalt on its mainnet, marking the third upgrade of 2026. This release includes the addition of seizeWithMemo to the B20 token standard. The new function allows an address with the SEIZE_ROLE to move a holder's balance to an authorized destination and attach a note explaining why.

The Cobalt update also introduces conditional transactions, which are valid only when certain conditions are met. For example, a transaction may be valid if a specific price is reached or if a block condition is satisfied.

Base has been working with Coinbase to integrate its tokenized equities into the B20 standard. The tokenized stocks were launched in August and have seen significant adoption, with over 4.3 million holders across different chains.

Meanwhile, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has proposed new regulations for DeFi gateways, staking, and lending. ESMA wants to license front-end providers that route EU users into DeFi protocols and manage conflicts of interest.

Abracadabra is proposing a wind-down plan for its MIM token, which would see holders receive around four cents per dollar in bad debt. The proposal comes after Balancer set its shutdown dates.