Jesse Pollak, recognized as the mastermind behind Coinbase’s layer-2 network Base, has been credited with driving the network’s surge in popularity this year.
Having joined Coinbase in 2017, Pollak introduced Base in 2023. The network was designed to streamline onchain activities by making them more affordable and accessible, signaling the first major crypto exchange to launch its own layer-2 network.
This year, Base experienced remarkable growth, surpassing $15 billion in total value locked (TVL) in January and establishing itself as one of the largest layer-2 solutions, with only Arbitrum being larger.
The rapid increase in Base’s popularity can be attributed to its extremely low transaction costs—significantly below a cent—as well as a growing array of DeFi applications, social platforms, and memecoins that contributed to its expansion over the past year. (Pollak’s rising recognition faced a setback when he dealt with significant criticism regarding the $JESSE memecoin launch in November, following allegations that bots acquired a substantial portion of the supply, affecting liquidity in other Base projects.)
In 2025, multiple projects within Coinbase’s Base ecosystem emerged as significant drivers, including the decentralized exchange Aerodrome Finance, which soared past $1 billion in TVL in January 2025, becoming a central liquidity hub for the chain. Additionally, Zora, a decentralized social network, emerged as notable, launching its token in April and benefiting from Base’s burgeoning creator economy. Overall, Base has witnessed explosive growth across DeFi, social, and meme-focused applications, creating a feedback loop that heightens demand for its native protocols as it establishes itself as a hub for onchain culture and experimentation.
Looking ahead, Pollak hinted at the potential introduction of a native token for Base, generating considerable anticipation among users who continue to drive activity.
Read more: Base Explores Issuing Native Token, Says Creator Jesse Pollak
