Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, is transitioning from Optimism’s technology stack to its own unified software architecture in a bid to streamline upgrades and reduce external dependencies.
Launched in 2023 as an Optimism chain, Base said the shift will shorten upgrade timelines and simplify how software is packaged and released across the network.
“Consolidating into Base changes how Base packages and releases software for the network. We will ship one official distribution for each upgrade: a single Base binary for operating nodes on the network,”
The Base engineering team said.
The move is also expected to simplify Base’s sequencer, which orders transactions for validators, while node operators will need to migrate to the new Base client over several months under a four-phase rollout plan.
The transition comes as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently questioned the original vision of layer-2 scaling, saying “the original vision of L2s and their role in Ethereum no longer makes sense, and we need a new path.”
Buterin’s comments drew mixed reactions across the ecosystem, with some L2 teams agreeing that scaling networks must evolve beyond simply offering cheaper execution than Ethereum’s layer-1.
“There are more than 128 different Ethereum L2 scaling networks currently operating,”
According to L2Beat data, highlighting the increasingly competitive landscape in which Base is seeking greater operational control.
At the time of reporting, Ethereum price was $1,969.64.