Coinbase’s Layer-2 ‘Base’ moves away from Optimism dependence…shifts to proprietary architecture

YM Lee

Summary

Coinbase-operated Ethereum layer-2 Base said it will move away from the Optimism technology stack and transition to a proprietary software architecture.
Base said it presented an overhaul, sequencer simplification, and a four-stage transition roadmap to reduce reliance on external service providers and shorten the pace of network upgrades.
Jesse Pollak cited Ethereum layer-1 scaling and a shift in layer-2 roles, saying Base’s move to a proprietary architecture could influence the layer-2 competitive landscape and the scaling-strategy debate.

Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network operated by Coinbase, is moving away from the Optimism technology stack and transitioning to a proprietary software architecture.

According to Cointelegraph on the 18th (local time), Base said it will migrate from its existing Optimism-based structure to its own integrated architecture. Launched in 2023 as an Optimism chain, Base is undertaking the overhaul to reduce reliance on external service providers and speed up network upgrades.

The Base team explained, “Once unified under Base, the way network software is deployed will change,” adding, “For each upgrade, we will officially distribute a single Base binary so nodes can run it.”

The shift is also expected to simplify the sequencer structure that determines transaction ordering. According to the project’s published roadmap, the transition will proceed in a total of four stages, and node operators will need to switch to the new Base client over the coming months in order to receive official upgrades.

The overhaul also dovetails with broader debate over layer-2 scaling strategy within the Ethereum ecosystem. Earlier this month, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the layer-2-centric scaling approach needs to be reconsidered. He argued that as Ethereum layer-1 scalability improves and network fees hit record lows, the role of existing layer-2s needs to evolve.

In response, Base founder Jesse Pollak said, “Expanding Ethereum layer 1 is positive for the entire ecosystem,” but added, “Going forward, layer 2 cannot remain merely a cheaper execution layer.”

Views within the industry remain divided, with some layer-2 project founders pushing back that their development is already aligned with long-term goals. As of L2BEAT’s aggregation, there are more than 128 Ethereum-based layer-2 networks. Attention is on how Base’s shift to a proprietary architecture will affect the layer-2 competitive landscape and the debate over scaling strategy.

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