TLDR: Base is Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain that processes transactions faster and cheaper than Ethereum’s main network. TAP Registry is built on Base, enabling affordable authentication for high-value assets with immutable ownership records. TAP Wallet supports the Base network natively, allowing users to transact with significantly lower fees while maintaining Ethereum’s security. Base uses ETH as its gas token, reinforcing Ethereum’s role across the ecosystem. With nearly 1 million daily users and over $9 billion in total value locked, Base has become the largest Layer 2 network.
As you start to explore the TAP ecosystem, you may have noticed references to Base. Base isn’t just another cryptocurrency network; it’s the foundational infrastructure powering TAP Registry’s authentication capabilities and supported natively in TAP Wallet for fast, affordable transactions.
Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain built by Coinbase that makes transactions approximately 10 times faster and cheaper than Ethereum’s main network while maintaining the same security standards. For TAP users, this translates directly to affordable asset authentication on TAP Registry and low-cost transactions in TAP Wallet, making blockchain technology accessible rather than prohibitively expensive.
What is Base?
Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain launched by Coinbase in August 2023 to address Ethereum’s scalability challenges. Think of Ethereum as a secure but congested highway where transaction fees can reach $50 or more during busy periods. Base functions like an express lane, processing transactions off the main highway while still connecting to the same secure destination.
The result: much faster speeds and costs over 95%+ lower.
Built using the OP Stack framework, Base processes transactions off Ethereum’s main chain, bundles them together, and submits cryptographic proofs back to Ethereum for final settlement. This allows Base to achieve high throughput and low costs while inheriting Ethereum’s robust security, perfect for applications requiring both performance and trust.
Unlike many blockchain networks, Base uses Ethereum (ETH) as its native gas token. No separate token to buy or manage. For TAP users, this means the ETH you hold works across Ethereum’s main network, Base, and the entire TAP ecosystem seamlessly.
As of early 2025, Base has established itself as the dominant Layer 2 solution with the highest total value locked (over $9 billion) and nearly one million daily active users. Learn more at the official Base website.
Why TAP Built Registry on Base
TAP Registry provides blockchain-based authentication for high-value physical assets, including bicycles, luxury watches, jewelry, and collectibles. Creating immutable ownership records requires blockchain infrastructure, but the choice of which blockchain matters enormously.
The Problem with Ethereum Layer 1:
Ethereum’s main network offers unmatched security but presents a significant problem: transaction costs. Registering a $300 bicycle on Ethereum could cost $50 in gas fees, which is economically absurd. This cost barrier makes blockchain authentication theoretical rather than practical.
The Base Solution:
Base solves this by reducing transaction costs, while maintaining Ethereum’s security through cryptographic proofs. For TAP Registry, Base provides the ideal combination: security required for high-value asset authentication, combined with affordable fees that make registration practical.
When assets are registered on TAP Registry, that authentication record lives on Base permanently, immutable, verifiable, and secured by Ethereum’s infrastructure without prohibitive costs.
Base’s scalability also matters for TAP Registry’s vision. As millions of assets potentially move onto blockchain authentication, Base and TAP can handle this growth without network congestion or escalating fees.
Base Network Support in TAP Wallet
TAP Wallet supports the Base network natively, enabling you to store and send assets on Base alongside other supported blockchains. This multi-chain capability means you can hold Ethereum on the main network for long-term storage while maintaining assets on Base for frequent transactions.
These cost savings make blockchain transactions practical for everyday amounts rather than exclusively high-value transfers.
The Role of Ethereum Across TAP’s Infrastructure
Since Base uses ETH as its gas token, Ethereum plays a central role across the entire TAP ecosystem. Every transaction on Base, whether authenticating an asset on TAP Registry or transferring value in TAP Wallet, requires ETH to pay network fees.
This creates a unified experience where one asset (Ethereum) provides utility across multiple networks and use cases.
For investors considering digital asset exposure, this architecture reinforces Ethereum’s value proposition. As Layer 2 networks like Base proliferate, Ethereum serves as both the security foundation and the transaction currency for a growing ecosystem.
TAP Invest enables you to purchase Ethereum directly and incorporate it into diversified portfolios alongside traditional assets, providing exposure to the asset that powers both Ethereum’s main network and the expanding Layer 2 ecosystem, including Base.
How Base Actually Works
Understanding Base’s mechanics helps appreciate why TAP chose this infrastructure.
When you initiate a transaction on Base, whether registering an asset on TAP Registry or sending ETH through TAP Wallet, Base processes that transaction off Ethereum’s main chain quickly and inexpensively. The network then bundles your transaction with many others into a “batch.”
This batch is submitted to Ethereum’s main network along with cryptographic proof demonstrating that all transactions are valid. Ethereum’s validators check this proof and confirm it. Your transaction is now permanently recorded on Ethereum’s blockchain, but you only paid Base’s low fees.
This architecture, processing off-chain with on-chain security proof, is what makes Layer 2 solutions revolutionary for blockchain scalability.
Base Network Statistics: Proven Adoption
Numbers demonstrate Base’s real-world traction:
- $9+ billion in total value locked (largest Layer 2)
- ~1 million daily active users
- #7 ranking among all blockchains by daily activity
- 40% of Ethereum’s L2 transaction capacity
These metrics matter because they demonstrate that the infrastructure powering TAP Registry and supported in TAP Wallet is proven and actively used, not experimental technology. Source: DeFiLlama.
What is Base in simple terms?
Base is a blockchain network built by Coinbase that makes Ethereum transactions faster and approximately 10 times cheaper while maintaining Ethereum’s security. It’s a Layer 2 solution processing transactions off Ethereum’s main blockchain, then submitting cryptographic proofs back to Ethereum for final security confirmation.
Why did TAP choose Base for Registry?
Base provides the ideal combination for asset authentication: Ethereum’s security for high-value ownership records, combined with affordable transaction fees. Base reduces costs by approximately 95% while maintaining security through cryptographic proofs submitted to Ethereum, making authentication practical for items ranging from bicycles to luxury goods.
Can I use the Base network in the TAP Wallet?
Yes, TAP Wallet supports the Base network natively. You can store and send assets on Base alongside other supported blockchains, benefiting from lower transaction fees while maintaining Ethereum security within the same wallet managing your multi-asset holdings.
Does Base have its own token?
No, Base does not have a native token. The network uses Ethereum (ETH) as its gas token for transaction fees, simplifying the user experience. The same ETH works across Ethereum’s main network, Base, and the entire TAP ecosystem without needing to acquire separate cryptocurrencies.
Is Base secure for TAP Registry authentication?
Yes, Base inherits security from Ethereum’s main network through cryptographic proofs. While transactions process on Base for speed and cost efficiency, final security comes from Ethereum’s consensus. Base is backed by Coinbase and secures over $9 billion in total value locked, demonstrating proven infrastructure trusted by major applications.
Base Powers TAP’s Future
Understanding Base illuminates why TAP chose this infrastructure for registry authentication and native wallet support. The combination of Ethereum’s security with Base’s speed and affordability makes blockchain authentication practical rather than theoretical.
For TAP users, base infrastructure means accessing cutting-edge blockchain capabilities without the complexity or costs that typically create barriers to adoption.
Register assets on TAP Registry with confidence that your ownership records live on proven infrastructure. Transact through TAP Wallet on the Base network, benefiting from low fees. Purchase Ethereum through TAP Invest to access the asset powering the entire ecosystem.
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