The Base blockchain, developed by Coinbase, will undergo a strategic shift after its creator, Jesse Pollak, admitted that the bet on on-chain social applications did not generate the expected results. From now on, the network will focus its efforts on three pillars for 2026: trading, payments, and AI agents.
As part of this reorganization, Pollak returned the Base app to Coinbase. The product's next phase will be led by investor Jordan Fish, known as Cobie, who recently expanded his relationship with the company following agreements totaling US$ 400 million, including the acquisition of the Echo platform and an NFT linked to the UpOnly podcast.
According to Pollak, the first quarter of 2026 represented a moment of reflection for the project. For nearly two years, Base had bet that social experiences and tools aimed at creators would drive cryptocurrency adoption. Despite the progress of segments such as stablecoins and perpetual markets, products such as Farcaster, Zora, mini-apps, and creator coins did not achieve the expected growth.
"I was wrong," Pollak wrote on Wednesday, adding that it is still not clear whether the strategy was poorly planned or fundamentally flawed.
The executive said that this choice also caused Base to lose ground to competitors in areas such as trading, asset tokenization, and corporate payments. According to him, the change in direction had already begun at the start of this year, when the platform began prioritizing the trading experience after user criticism.
Now, Base intends to expand the offering of tokenized assets, including stocks, memecoins, and app tokens. In addition, it intends to expand the global use of stablecoins for individuals and businesses and develop financial infrastructure aimed at AI agents, enabling automated payments through APIs and smart contracts.
"We will integrate Base into the blockchain of global finance and will do everything within our power to make it the place where the world's money will be settled in the next century," Pollak said.
