Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
-
Coinbase has launched the Base App to replace Coinbase Wallet.
-
The new app comprises social networking, mini‑apps, trading, and instant USDC payments, powered by its Layer-2 network.
Coinbase Launches the Base App
Coinbase, the leading cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, has unveiled the Base App, rebranding its Coinbase Wallet as an “everything app” that combines social networking, mini-apps, chat, payments, and trading as part of what the company calls a new chapter for its Base ecosystem.
The company announced this latest development during its “A New Day One” event. Coinbase recasts Base as a three-part platform: the existing Ethereum Layer 2 network Base Chain, a suite of tools and support for developers dubbed Base Build, and the new Base App, which serves as a consumer gateway to onchain services.
The new app comprises a social feed powered by the Farcaster protocol that lets creators tokenize each post through Zora, earn directly from tips and sales, and receive weekly rewards for top engagement.
The new Base App allows users to watch their friends’ trades in real-time and swap tokens without leaving the feed. Furthermore, it embeds hundreds of mini-apps, ranging from games to prediction markets, offers one-tap USDC payments via NFC, and includes encrypted XMTP messaging, where users can share content, transact with AI agents, or send funds.
Once users sign up, they will receive a Base Account, a smart wallet that follows them across apps and chains.
Coinbase also launched Base Pay, a new checkout service enabling near-instant USDC transactions. The Base Pay feature is now available to Shopify merchants, with U.S. consumers eligible for 1% cash back later this year. However, Base App rewards are not available in the European Union or Canada.
According to the publicly-listed cryptocurrency exchange, the rebrand is designed to make onchain activity as simple as tapping an app. The company is also positioning Base App as a hub where eligible users can post, trade, and get paid without platform gatekeepers. Coinbase plans a gradual public rollout after the beta phase and has invited developers to integrate “Sign in with Base” into their own products.
