The Base Layer 2 decentralized network originally developed by Coinbase announced changes to its technology roadmap on February 18 of this year.
Wilson Cusack, the network’s head of engineering, confirmed that the project will use its own code, specifications and infrastructure. This decision begins the transition to a “unified stack” that gives Base autonomy in protocol development. a integrated stack It is a standardized architecture that allows multiple networks to operate under the same code and protocols, ensuring interoperability and shared security without fragmenting development.
Until now, the base has been operated under the following system. OP Stack technology standard, modular software from Optimism. This architecture tied the network to the ecosystem’s update cycles and design decisions. Using this shared infrastructure, projects have joined “superchains”, groups of interconnected networks that share common governance and security.
To understand this relationship, we can compare the OP stack to an open source operating system similar to Android. Optimism acts as the main developer providing basic software to various manufacturers (Superchain Network). When using, All networks operate under the same rules and can easily communicate with each other.. However, Base decided to develop its own software with no dependencies. It will continue to be compatible with the ecosystem, but will no longer be dependent on update times or technical limitations imposed by the original manufacturer.
The announced changes mean: Base independently manages its own code repository. Network nodes must follow the Base technical specifications rather than the Optimism technical specifications. This operational sovereignty allows your team to perform up to six network updates (hard fork) per year to integrate features directly. One point to emphasize is that after the first hard fork (the next step), nodes must update their client software or they will not be able to process transactions on the new network. Base has not announced an implementation date for this step. At the user level, the change is almost imperceptible.
As highlighted in the statement, the goal of this new phase is to achieve the following processing capabilities: 1 gigabyte or billions of gas per second. This level of scale requires supporting high-traffic applications and minimizing transaction fees. According to the statement, the technical team will prioritize network consistency and aim to achieve 99.99% block processing.
The Superchain ecosystem consists of: Different networks trying to scale Ethereum in a coordinated way. Its most notable members include OP Mainnet (Optimism’s mainnet), Zora, Mode, and Fraxtal, as well as recent projects such as Uniswap’s Unichain, Kraken’s Ink, and Sony’s Soneium. These networks all contribute financially to a common fund in exchange for using shared technology and benefiting from the security inherited from Ethereum.
Base’s technology transition will be a dramatic financial blow to Optimism Collective, as the network will exit the Superchain revenue sharing scheme (which requires 2.5% of gross revenue or 15% of net profit). Takes about 94% of daily fees away from Optimism. Due to the suspension of 13.15 ETH that Base normally offered, OP token suffered its worst decline so far this year, It fell 25% to USD 0.13.
Despite the economic impact on the ecosystem, Coinbase justifies this technological autonomy as a necessary means to gain operational agility, reduce external dependencies, and optimize scalability without sacrificing Ethereum’s security.