In a thrilling new development, Coinbase’s Base has introduced their layer-2 mainnet designed for builders, ahead of its public launch. The idea is to grant builders extra time for user onboarding. The public unveiling of the network is pegged for August, promising expanded possibilities for enterprises in development. Base network, regarded as Ethereum’s layer-2, was announced to enthusiastic acclaim from Ethereum users in February.
However, it’s not all jingles and trumpets for the project. The Base mainnet, although now equipped with two functioning block explorers and an RPC node, does not provide a web-based user interface. This means the interface’s functions can only be invoked via a command-line interface or running scripts. This could be a hitch in the adoption of the network since not every potential user might be comfortable with such tech-savviness. Also, developers have been asked to refrain from launching UIs for their apps during the initial “builder” phase.
Regardless, there is a silver lining. For the developers that do venture into deploying their contracts to the network, Base is offering a “Base is for builders” commemorative nonfungible token (NFT). There is also the temptation of a “Genesis Builder NFT” for their efforts.
Moreover, the Base network has been functioning since July 2, as indicated by data from the block explorers, and has processed well over 1 million transactions. The team behind the Base network development has hinted that Base and Optimism are set to eventually merge, forming a “Superchain” which would share identical security features. However, competition looms in the form of zkSync’s “Hyperchains”, which promises parallel features to the Superchain.
While these developments unfold, skepticism about the user-friendliness of the Base network remain. Despite the evident gains that the platform promises, the appeal to developers may be tainted if its complexity proves intimidating. As always, innovation inevitably comes with its set of challenges and opportunities. As crypto-watchers, we keep a keen eye on these advances, looking for the signal in the noise.
Source: Cointelegraph
