Coinbase-backed Base adds conditional transactions in Cobalt upgrade

What happened

Base launched Cobalt, its third major network upgrade, and the release is now live on mainnet. Cobalt adds new transaction controls for traders and more tools for companies that issue tokens on the Coinbase-incubated Ethereum Layer 2 network, according to a blog post from Base.

The main addition is Validity Transactions. A user can sign and submit a transaction that stays dormant until preset conditions are met, such as a swap that waits for an asset to reach a chosen price. A deadline can expire the order if the condition never arrives. Base said the feature could cut the need to watch markets and resubmit orders, and that submissions can stay private until they land onchain.

Cobalt also updates B20, Base's token standard for issuers. Composite Policies let issuers combine allowlists and blocklists with AND or OR logic, so a fund could require a know-your-customer check plus its own accreditation list. Other additions let issuers schedule changes to a token's display multiplier, which Base tied to events such as stock splits, and add seizeWithMemo, which lets authorized administrators reassign balances with an onchain explanation. Base said it cannot trigger those transfers itself, and each issuer decides who may use the function.

Why it matters

The upgrade fits Base's effort to be infrastructure for both trading and tokenized assets. Base has said the network should serve companies that issue and manage such assets, not only crypto trading and payments.

The network has moved that way through the year. Base rolled out B20 as a standard for stablecoins and real-world assets, and in August Coinbase launched tokenized stock products on Base using B20, covering shares in companies such as Apple and Nvidia. Base creator Jesse Pollak said the network had focused too much on social and messaging apps early on and had fallen behind in prediction markets and trading tools.

What the data shows

• Cobalt is Base's third major mainnet upgrade.
• Base plans to cut block times from two seconds to 200 milliseconds.
• Coinbase debuted Base in 2023.
• In February 2026, Coinbase said it would move Base to its own, bespoke technology.

Background

• Coinbase debuted Base in 2023 on the Optimism tech stack, and in February 2026 it said the network would move to its own, bespoke technology.
• Base's B20 standard was built for stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization, and Coinbase used it in August to launch tokenized stock products on the network.
• Coinbase said last year that it is considering a native token for Base.

What is still unclear

• No native Base token has launched. Coinbase has only said it is considering one, and no date has been given.
• Reports give different months for the B20 launch, describing it as June and as July.
• More upgrades are planned, including protocol-level smart accounts and lower block times, but developers cautioned that those plans can change.

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