Coinbase’s Base moves away from Optimism’s 'OP stack' in major tech shift

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Coinbase’s Base moves away from Optimism’s 'OP stack' in major tech shift Base launched in 2023 and quickly became one of the most widely used Ethereum layer-2 networks. By Margaux Nijkerk , AI Boost | Edited by Aoyon Ashraf Feb 18, 2026, 5:38 p.m. Make us preferred on Google What to know : Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, is changing the technology that powers it, stepping back from relying on Optimism’s OP Stack, the toolkit it originally launched on. Base launched in 2023 and quickly became one of the most widely used Ethereum layer-2 networks, with $3.85 billion in locked in the protocol today . The OP token is down 4% from the past 24 hours following the announcement of this news. Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, is changing the technology that powers it, stepping back from relying on Optimism’s OP Stack, the toolkit it originally launched on. In a blog post titled “T he Next Chapter for Base ,” the team said it plans to take more control over its own code and infrastructure. Instead of depending on multiple outside teams for key upgrades and changes, Base will consolidate everything into a Base-managed codebase. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy . In simple terms, Base was built using Optimism’s technology, but now it wants to steer more of its own ship. Optimism is a layer-2 blockchain on top of Ethereum that aims to reduce settlement times and transaction costs. Base launched in 2023 and quickly became one of the most widely used Ethereum layer-2 networks, with $3.85 billion locked in the protocol today . The OP token is down 4% over the past 24 hours following the announcement. OP Token (CoinDesk) The team said that the change doesn’t mean Base is cutting ties with Optimism entirely. The company said it will still work with Optimism for support and will remain compatible with OP Stack standards during the transition. For everyday users and developers, nothing should immediately change. The team said the shift is happening because, if it controls its own stack, Base can ship upgrades faster and simplify how the network operates behind the scenes, aiming to double its pace of major upgrades to about six per year. For now, the transition is mostly technical. "This unification does not mean Base will be built in isolation. The protocol remains public and specified in the open, and alternative implementations are welcome and encouraged," the team wrote in their blog post . Read more: Coinbase Officially Launches Base Blockchain in Milestone for a Public Company Coinbase Base Optimism Optimism foundation Breaking News AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You Zoomex: Precise Systems of Fairness and Transparency by Design By CoinDesk Jan 31, 2026 Commissioned by Zoomex Read full story More For You Ethereum’s 50% staking milestone triggers backlash over 'misleading' supply data By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback 21 minutes ago CoinShares researcher Luke Nolan says the 50% figure is ‘inaccurate, or at least materially misleading’ and staked ether is closer to 30% of supply. Ethplorer.io’s Aleksandr Vat agrees. What to know : More than half of all ether ever issued has passed through Ethereum’s proof-of-stake deposit contract, but analysts say this overstates how much ETH is actually locked. On-chain data show about 37 million ETH, or roughly 31% of the total supply, is currently staked, far below the roughly 80 million ETH that have cumulatively entered the Beacon deposit contract. The milestone underscores staking’s growing role in Ethereum’s economics, with some investors likening ETH to a “digital bond” even as critics warn that large players now dominate validator growth. 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