Base by Coinbase Is About to Get Way Faster — And It’s Coming for Solana

Mon May 26 2025
Coinbase’s L2 network Base is rolling out major upgrades: 200ms confirmations, sub-cent fees, Flashblocks, and a path to 1 million TPS. Here’s what it means for Ethereum’s future.

⚡ Base Is Leveling Up — and Ethereum Might Never Be the Same

Coinbase isn’t playing nice anymore. Its Layer 2 network Base is getting a blistering-fast upgrade, and it’s not just for show — it’s aiming straight at Solana and Sui.

  • ⏱️ 200ms transaction confirmations
  • 💸 Fees staying under 0.01
  • 🔥 Flashblocks = near-instant UX
  • 🧠 Core protocol logic moving on-chain for true decentralization

This isn’t just speed for speed’s sake. It’s about making Base the go-to chain for the next billion users.


🛠️ What’s Actually Changing?

According to Base lead Jesse Pollak, this upgrade is about turning Base into the fastest, cheapest, and most decentralized Ethereum L2.

Here’s what’s coming:

  • Flashblocks: A new system of “pre-confirmed” blocks. Imagine Solana-speed, but EVM-native. Already live on testnet. Launch expected summer 2025.
  • 200ms confirmation times: Aimed to match the real-time feel of Web2. Think mobile tap = transaction finality.
  • Sub-cent fees: Yep, still under 0.01 per tx — even post-upgrade.
  • 50M to 250M gas/sec: Gas throughput will 10x by end of year.

And it’s not just performance.

Base will start decentralizing its architecture: 🧱 Core protocol logic (state transition) will move onchain to Ethereum — opening the door to community-run nodes and validators.

TL;DR: Ethereum just got a whole lot more Solana-shaped.


💣 Why It Matters: L2 Wars Just Got Real

Base is already a heavyweight. It’s the largest Ethereum L2 by TVL, clocking in at 14B+, according to L2Beat.

But with these changes, it’s gunning for more than L2 dominance — it wants L1-level user experience, without the trade-offs.

If Base can hit 1M TPS and stay EVM-compatible, it won’t just compete with Solana… It might become the default UX layer for crypto.


👀 What to Watch Next

  • Flashblocks mainnet rollout — summer 2025
  • Decentralization roadmap: who runs Base after Coinbase?
  • App ecosystem: will devs move from Solana/Arbitrum to Base?
  • Institutional adoption: Coinbase wants Base to be the onramp for the world

🧠 TL;DR: Base Is About to Snap

  • ⚡ 200ms confirmation times = Solana speed
  • 💸 Fees stay under 0.01
  • 🔧 Flashblocks and 250M gas/sec unlock real scalability
  • 🧱 Moving core logic on-chain = decentralization begins
  • 📈 Already #1 Ethereum L2 by TVL (14B+)

Coinbase is building more than an L2. It’s building the front-end of the next internet.

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