The news broke at BaseCamp 2025, a two-day event gathering developers, builders, and thought leaders, where Jesse Pollak, founder of Base, confirmed the network is officially “beginning to explore” a native token to help accelerate its decentralization vision. Both Pollak and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized that this is the very start of the process.

Image Source: Coinbase

Why a Native Token?

Since its launch in 2023, Base has stood out as one of the fastest-growing Layer 2 networks, boasting about $5 billion in total value locked and nearly a million daily active addresses, yet all transaction fees are still paid in ETH rather than a dedicated Base token. With the industry’s evolution, Base now wants to take the next step by introducing a token, following three guiding principles: deepening decentralization, empowering builders and creators, and expanding global accessibility.

Pollak spoke candidly about why Base is exploring this idea now. The team sees a native token as a mechanism to align economic incentives, encourage ecosystem growth, and hand more control to its worldwide community. The move could also accelerate Base’s transition from its current governance model to a truly decentralized stage, where users are more involved and rewarded.

Commitment to Openness

Despite speculation about alternate blockchain frameworks, Base’s team stressed that future development will remain anchored to Ethereum’s battle-tested infrastructure. The new token, if launched, would be native to this chain, harnessing Ethereum’s security and open standards. The team also pledged “radical transparency” opting to share their early exploration with the world, seeking feedback rather than keeping plans under wraps until finalized. Pollak described the announcement as “a new day one,” marking not the unveiling of a finished product, but the beginning of an open, community-driven design process.

Regulatory and Industry Context

Heightened regulatory scrutiny is reshaping US crypto policy, but Base believes its deep compliance expertise, supported by Coinbase’s 15-year track record, positions it for a responsible token launch. As the US Senate debates the Clarity Act, Base’s leadership has vowed to work closely with regulators to ensure any token fits within a clear legal framework. This careful, collaborative approach is expected to inspire trust among users and creators.

What’s Next for Base?

The exploration phase kicks off with no specifics on governance, tokenomics, or deployment, nor any promises of an airdrop. Community consultations during the BaseCamp event and beyond will shape future plans. Meanwhile, Base continues to innovate, recently debuting a bridge to Solana for enhanced cross-chain liquidity, further proof that the network is positioning itself as an interoperable hub for crypto’s next chapter.

Community Pulse

The response from users and developers has been mostly positive, expressing hope that a native token will drive sustainable growth, democratize influence in the ecosystem, and reward dedicated builders. Yet, many call for careful design and governance to avoid pitfalls seen with other token launches.