Configuration Error Behind Base Network Delays Now Resolved, Company Confirms
Coinbase's Base network is implementing a comprehensive month-long series of infrastructure enhancements designed to eliminate future transaction bottlenecks and boost network performance.
The Ethereum layer-2 network Base, operated by Coinbase, has confirmed that recent issues involving delayed and dropped transactions stemmed from a configuration mistake that has now been resolved.
Users of the Base network encountered heightened rates of transaction failures and processing delays throughout the weekend, with transactions struggling to be confirmed onchain. However, the network continued producing blocks and maintaining operations throughout the period, indicating that the problem fell short of triggering a complete system failure.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Base revealed that modifications made to transaction propagation caused the block builder to enter a loop of repeatedly attempting to fetch transactions that were impossible to execute as base fees escalated rapidly.
We mitigated the issue by rolling back the change and have validated that network stability has been restored.
Base plans upgrade to prevent future delays
The development team has also disclosed their current efforts on implementing long-term solutions designed to avoid comparable service interruptions moving forward.
The roadmap for enhancements encompasses optimizing the transaction pipeline, eliminating redundant overhead, refining mempool queue management for pending transactions, and bolstering monitoring capabilities during infrastructure deployments. The entire process is anticipated to require approximately one month to complete.
Base has positioned itself at the forefront of Ethereum layer-2 networks measured by total value locked (TVL). The network maintained approximately $4.2 billion in TVL, representing 47.6% of the entire Ethereum L2 market share on Wednesday, based on figures from DefiLlama.
Arbitrum (ARB) currently holds 27% of the layer-2 marketplace, positioning it in a distant second place compared to Base, whereas all remaining networks continue operating with single-digit market shares.
Base emerges central to Coinbase's super-app strategy
According to previous Cointelegraph coverage, Coinbase is intensifying its focus on stablecoins and the Base network while pursuing expansion opportunities beyond cryptocurrency trading, working toward what it calls an "everything exchange," a platform that merges crypto trading with equity markets, prediction markets and various other financial instruments.
This strategic expansion establishes Base as a critical distribution infrastructure for Coinbase's blockchain-based activities, progressively functioning as the foundational layer for the exchange's evolution beyond traditional crypto services into continuous trading capabilities, payment solutions and practical real-world financial applications.