As Bitcoin hovers around $67,000 with eyes on an upcoming Federal Reserve announcement, Coinbase has stirred the crypto waters with a significant development. The exchange has unveiled its own code library for its proprietary layer2 solution, a strategic choice poised to cause ripples among OP Coin stakeholders. This maneuver comes after years of Coinbase broadening its revenue channels by establishing its own layer2 network, signifying a possible pivot in its existing industry partnerships.
How Will the Base Network Transition from Optimism Stack?
Coinbase’s Base network has announced plans to detach from the Optimism Stack, a foundational structure it has depended on, instead constructing its own base. Previously, Base had a financial agreement with the Optimism Collective, contributing a portion of its earnings—either 2.5% of gross revenue or 15% of net profits post-layer1 expenses—whichever was more advantageous to Optimism. As of 2025, Base was responsible for generating approximately 71% of the Superchain’s sequencer revenue.
What Are the Implications for OP Treasury’s Revenue?
By transitioning to a self-contained “Unified Base Stack,” Base is setting the stage for renegotiation, or potentially the end, of its revenue-sharing deal with Optimism. Departing from the Superchain could severely impact OP treasury, removing its primary revenue stream and affecting the token‘s ongoing financial solidity. In a previous statement, Optimism announced that half of its sequencer revenue would support OP token buybacks to stabilize token availability under fluctuating market conditions. However, Base’s exit could disrupt these buying operations.
Optimism previously stated that half of the sequencer revenue would be used for OP token buybacks to support the token amid volatile markets, but Base’s potential departure threatens to curtail that buying activity.
This scenario threatens a timeframe of instability for OP token dynamics, given its turbulent past quarters. A reduction in inflows would compel the OP treasury to reevaluate its strategies, including expenditure, buybacks, and overall market support mechanisms for OP’s valuation.
- Base could renegotiate its financial commitments with Optimism or end them entirely.
- The OP treasury is at risk of losing a vital economic source should Base pull back.
- Any shift in Base’s involvement would heavily impact existing buyback strategies.
Coinbase’s decision challenges the collaborative model of the Superchain, which was reliant on a shared technical architecture and mutual growth prospects. The move by Base to construct its own stack might catalyze similar actions among other contributors, potentially destabilizing collective income streams.
As this situation unfolds, both the Base and Optimism communities face pivotal moments. While Base secures greater independence and operational agility, Optimism requires measures to compensate for potential deficits. The crypto world is poised to watch these developments closely as they reveal broader implications for ongoing technical and financial negotiations.
Coinbase’s strategic shift highlights a significant rebalancing of power within Ethereum’s layer2 space—a choice that could redefine long-standing alliances and revenue pathways for the foreseeable future.
