Base Network Ditches Optimism Tech in Major Overhaul, Eyes Faster Upgrades and Potential Token

Coinbase-backed Ethereum layer-2 scaling network Base has announced a significant shift in its technological foundation, moving away from the Optimism technology stack (OP Stack) to a unified, in-house solution. This strategic pivot aims to accelerate upgrade deployment, reduce operational overhead, and enhance the network's scalability, with a stated goal of reaching 1 billion gas units per second.

Key Takeaways

• Base is transitioning from Optimism's OP Stack to its own unified technology stack.

• The network plans to double its hard-forks to six per year for faster upgrades.

• Node operators will need to migrate to the new Base client in the coming months.

• The move coincides with discussions around Base potentially launching its own native token.

A New Technical Roadmap

Base Head of Product, Wilson Cusack, announced the evolution of the network's technical roadmap, emphasizing the development of its own specifications, code, and infrastructure. This move grants Base greater autonomy to implement protocol improvements more frequently and efficiently. The current architecture, which involves code spread across multiple teams and repositories, creates coordination and maintenance overhead. The new unified solution, dubbed "base/base" and built on open-sourced components like Reth, is designed to simplify the network's components and optimize them for Base's specific use case.

Increased Upgrade Frequency and Scalability Goals

As part of this transition, Base intends to increase its network hard-forks from the current rate to six per year, effectively doubling its upgrade cadence. This accelerated pace is crucial for achieving the network's "north star" goal of scaling to 1 billion gas units per second, a target approximately 40 times the network's performance at the time of its announcement last February. While immediate action is not required from node operators and developers, they will need to migrate to the Base client within the next few months to ensure compatibility.

Implications for Optimism and Future Token

This technological shift means Base will no longer rely on the OP Stack, a framework also used by other layer-2 networks like Worldcoin's World network and Uniswap's Unichain. While Base will continue to work with Optimism for support and maintain compatibility during the transition, the move has already seen a dip in Optimism's OP token. The announcement comes shortly after Coinbase reported its Q4 earnings, reiterating its intention to drive transactions on Base in 2026. Furthermore, discussions from the previous year about Base exploring the launch of its own native token, with potential market cap estimates ranging from $12 billion to $34 billion, add another layer of significance to this development. Base currently holds the top position among layer-2 networks in terms of bridged total value locked.

Sources

• Coinbase-Backed Ethereum Network Base to Dump Optimism Tech as Potential Token Looms, Decrypt.

• Coinbase-Backed Ethereum Network Base to Dump Optimism Tech as Potential Token Looms, Yahoo Finance.

• Optimism's OP token falls after Base moves away from the network's 'OP stack' in major tech shift, CoinDesk.