Coinbase’s Base Layer-2 Network Faces Block Production Issue
Coinbase’s recently launched layer-2 network, Base, experienced a significant problem for the first time since its public launch. On September 5, block production unexpectedly stopped for 45 minutes. The issue was promptly addressed by the platform’s team, and they were able to resume block production after identifying the problem at 9:36 PM UTC.
The team discovered that a refresh was required for part of the internal Base infrastructure, which caused the glitch. They implemented a fix and confirmed that systems are now operational, with widespread recovery.
To ensure the stability of the Base chain, the team will continue monitoring and resolving any further issues.
Concerns Arise Regarding Base’s Network Robustness
Prior to its public launch, Coinbase’s Ethereum-based Layer 2 network faced a challenge on August 30. The platform’s team noticed that some Bridge transactions were not appearing due to a technical outage on Basescan.
In the days leading up to this event, the Base status site revealed issues on August 24 and 25. On August 24, there were reports of transaction pool leakage from certain RPC node providers. However, the team swiftly fixed the problem. The following day, August 25, withdrawal delays occurred due to delays from Coinbase.com. Nonetheless, this issue did not impact the Base bridge and mainnet, and withdrawals resumed on the same day.
Despite the team’s proactive approach in resolving these glitches, the recurrence of network issues raised concerns about the reliability and robustness of the layer-2 protocol.
Expert Commentary Highlights Potential Risks of Ethereum-based Layer-2 Networks
Matt Willemsen, the head of research at Collective Shift, a crypto education platform, commented on the development. Willemsen pointed out the potential risks of using Ethereum-based layer-2 networks instead of the Ethereum mainnet. He emphasized that Ethereum-based L2s, including OP Mainnet, Arbitrum One, zkSync Era, or Base, are less robust compared to the Ethereum mainnet.
Increased Activity Recorded on Coinbase’s Layer 2 Network
Base has witnessed a surge in transaction and network activity, even surpassing Ethereum briefly on August 21. According to DeFi analyst Thor Hartvigsen, as of August 18, Coinbase’s layer 2 network recorded more daily transactions than Optimism and Arbitrum combined.
Data indicates a 48.64% increase in Total Value Locked (TVL) on Base, although Transaction Per Second (TPS) has declined by 4.22%. Speculations suggest that the activity uptick is driven by the Friend.Tech Frenzy.
Hot Take: The Base network’s recent glitches raise concerns about its reliability, but the team’s swift response and increased activity indicate potential for growth and improvement in the future.
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