Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by Coinbase, is upgrading its core architecture from an optimistic rollup to a zero-knowledge-based system with significant security design changes.
The network, which currently has a total capital of around $12 billion, plans to employ a trusted execution environment (TEE) combined with zero-knowledge proofs to ensure chain finality.
Bass makes ZK soar
According to an official press release shared with , this move makes Base the largest single Ethereum operator to date to implement ZK proof for finality. crypto potato. After deployment to mainnet, the majority of the Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem in terms of total locked value, daily user count, and transaction throughput is expected to be secured through TEEs supported by ZK proofs generated using Succinct Labs’ SP1 virtual machines.
SP1 is Succinct Labs’ open source zkVM that can generate concise ZK proofs for arbitrary Rust-based computations. It has seen significant levels of adoption among zkVMs within the Ethereum ecosystem, and is designed to allow you to incorporate ZK-based security into your rollups, apps, and bridges without having to develop your own validation infrastructure.
For Base, this integration eliminates the need for multi-day challenge periods associated with optimistic rollups and instead introduces cryptographic finality, effectively shortening the path to finality to one day. It also aims to provide a “minimum trust” mechanism to bring large amounts of capital back to the Ethereum mainnet.
Wilson Cussak, head of Base Chain, said in a statement:
“Base is built to be a home for everyone on-chain. As the network grows, so does the need to continue to harden the infrastructure that users and developers rely on every day. Extending Base with ZK proofs is a meaningful step in strengthening the security and resiliency of the network.”
The latest development is also in line with the views previously expressed by Vitalik Buterin, who described ZK-EVM as the “endgame” of Ethereum block validation. He suggested that such systems could become the dominant proof method between 2027 and 2030.
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Market manipulation concerns
In another development, Base recently came under fire following community criticism over how assets gain traction on the network. Some users are wondering whether certain projects receive support behind the scenes. In response to concerns, Base co-founder Jesse Pollack said the team does not and will not engage in price manipulation or informal coordination to push assets toward a particular outcome.
He further explained that such actions would be detrimental to other projects, violate open market principles, and could be illegal. Instead, Pollack said the company will continue to focus on distributing high-quality applications and increasing awareness, while acknowledging there is room for improvement in attracting capital and attention to the ecosystem.
