Base App is an all-in-one mobile application developed by Coinbase that functions as a smart wallet and a gateway to the onchain economy. ^{[1] [2]} Operating on the Base blockchain, an Ethereum Layer 2 network also developed by Coinbase, the application is positioned as a "super app" that integrates payments, social networking, messaging, trading, and a native ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps). ^[3] The primary objective of Base App is to simplify the user experience of cryptocurrency and Web3 technologies to facilitate mass adoption. It achieves this by abstracting away technical complexities such as cryptographic seed phrases and transaction fees (gas), aiming to make onchain interactions as seamless as using traditional web applications. ^{[3] [1]}

Background and Launch

​Coinbase officially announced Base App on July 16, 2025, presenting it as the successor to and replacement for its long-standing Coinbase Wallet. ^{[1] [2]} The app's creation is a key component of Coinbase's broader strategy to bring "a billion users onchain" by addressing common barriers to entry in the crypto space, such as complex user interfaces and the security burdens of self-custody. ^[3]​

The development of Base App also represents a strategic business shift for Coinbase, aimed at diversifying its revenue streams beyond transaction-based trading fees. By fostering a utility-driven onchain economy through the app, the company seeks to build a more sustainable business model. This initiative aligns with CEO Brian Armstrong's stated goal of making Coinbase a leading global financial services application. ^[2]​

Prior to its full public release, Base App underwent a limited beta phase. Access was initially restricted to a select group of testers and was later expanded to users who signed up for a waitlist. This phased rollout allowed the development team to test the smart wallet and passkey-based onboarding experience, gather user feedback, and ensure platform stability before a wider launch. ^{[1] [3]}​

Core Features

Base App integrates a wide range of functionalities into a single interface, designed to serve as a central hub for a user's onchain activities.

Smart Wallet and Account Abstraction

The foundation of Base App is its smart wallet, which utilizes account abstraction technology based on the ERC-4337 standard. This approach fundamentally alters the user experience by eliminating the need for traditional 12-word seed phrases, a common point of failure and anxiety for crypto users. Instead, accounts are secured using device-native passkeys, which are linked to a user's biometrics like Face ID or a fingerprint scan. This method enhances both security and usability by leveraging the hardware-level security of the user's device. ^{[1] [3]}​

Account abstraction also enables a suite of advanced features, including:

• Gasless Transactions: The app allows for transaction fees to be sponsored by dApps or paid through alternative means, removing a significant friction point for new users.
• Social Recovery: Users can regain access to their accounts through trusted contacts, providing a more intuitive recovery mechanism than seed phrases.
• Batched Transactions: The technology allows for multiple operations to be bundled into a single transaction, improving efficiency. ^[1]

Onchain Payments and Commerce

Base App features a robust payment system centered around the USDC stablecoin, enabling fast and global peer-to-peer transactions. Payments sent between users within the app are free of charge. The system is designed for simplicity, allowing users to send funds via QR codes or by using human-readable "Basenames" and social media handles, such as those from the Farcaster protocol. ^{[3] [1]}​

In a significant push into e-commerce, Coinbase introduced "Base Pay," a one-click express checkout system for USDC payments. Developed in collaboration with Shopify, Base Pay was activated for tens of thousands of Shopify merchants at launch. To incentivize adoption, Shopify offered 1% cash back in the U.S. for customers paying with USDC on the Base network. Coinbase also announced plans to extend Base Pay to physical retail stores with tap-to-pay support. ^[2]​

Integrated App and Social Ecosystem

The application serves as a curated portal to the Base dApp ecosystem, featuring an integrated browser for interacting with "mini apps." This allows users to access services for decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and content creation directly within the Base App interface without needing to switch between different applications. Featured partners at launch included Zora, Fantasy.top, Paragraph, and Pods. ^[3]​

The app also includes social features, such as an encrypted messaging service for direct and group chats. This feature is integrated with the payment system, allowing users to send money as easily as sending a text message. A social feed helps users discover trending content, communities, and onchain assets. ^[3]​

Onchain Identity and Gamification

Base App incorporates a feature called "Quests," a gamified system designed to onboard and educate users. Through Quests, users are guided to explore different dApps and features within the Base ecosystem. By completing these tasks, they can earn rewards and build a verifiable onchain reputation. This system is tied to the user's onchain identity, which can be represented by a "Basename." The app also includes a "Base Account" system for identity verification. ^{[1] [2]}​

Creator and Trading Tools

The app is designed to support the creator economy. A "Create and earn" feature, powered by Zora, allows content creators to be compensated when other users engage with their posts. ^[3] On October 16, 2025, Base App announced the launch of "creator coins," a feature allowing creators to launch their own digital assets to monetize their work and reward their communities. ^[4]​

In addition to creator tools, the app provides integrated trading functionalities. Users can buy, sell, and trade a wide variety of onchain assets. On November 5, 2025, a feature enhancement was released that allows users to see what other people are buying and execute trades directly from a new card in their social feed. Eligible users can also earn rewards on their holdings, such as an APY of up to 3.85% on USDC stored in the app. ^{[5] [3]}​

Vision and Market Positioning

​Coinbase has positioned Base App as a "super app" or "everything app" for the Western market, drawing comparisons to the all-in-one functionality of platforms like WeChat and Alipay in Asia. The vision is to create a single, user-friendly platform where finance, social interaction, digital identity, and ownership converge in a decentralized context. ^{[2] [1]}​

Industry analysts view the app and the underlying Base network as a critical initiative for Coinbase to demonstrate the utility of cryptocurrency beyond speculative trading. By focusing on practical use cases like low-cost payments and content monetization, Coinbase aims to attract a mainstream consumer audience that has previously been deterred by the technical hurdles of crypto. The app is considered a potential "game-changer" for the company, representing a strategic effort to build a significant new revenue source independent of crypto market volatility and embed its technology into the broader digital economy. ^[2]​

Technology

Base App's functionality is built on a specific technology stack designed for security, scalability, and user-friendliness.

Blockchain Network

All operations and transactions within Base App are conducted on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network. Developed by Coinbase, Base is designed to offer fast, low-cost, and secure transactions by processing them off the main Ethereum chain and then posting a summary back to it. The network is promoted as being able to settle transactions in less than a second for less than a cent. ^{[2] [3]}​

Account Abstraction

The app's smart wallet functionality is built on the principles of ERC-4337, the Ethereum standard for account abstraction. This standard allows for programmable accounts that offer enhanced security, usability, and recovery options compared to traditional externally owned accounts (EOAs), without requiring changes to the core blockchain protocol. ^[1]​

Security Model

The security of the smart wallet is centered on passkeys, which are cryptographic keys stored in the secure enclave of a user's device. This hardware-based security model ties wallet access to the device and the user's biometrics. This method is more resistant to phishing attacks than traditional passwords and removes the single point of failure associated with seed phrases. ^[1]​

Native Currency

The app utilizes USDC, a stablecoin issued by Circle and pegged to the U.S. dollar, as its native currency for payments, rewards, and other transactions. The choice of a stablecoin provides a stable medium of exchange for everyday commerce, avoiding the price volatility associated with other cryptocurrencies. ^{[3] [2]}​