Coinbase Transforms Wallet into Social Trading Platform “Base App”

Coinbase rebranded its Wallet application to Base App on July 16, combining social networking, trading, payments and mini apps into one platform. The company announced the change at its “A New Day One” event in Los Angeles.

The Base App includes four main features: a social feed powered by Farcaster, a mini app directory, encrypted messaging through XMTP, and a trading wallet. Users can post content, chat with others, send USDC payments and swap tokens within the same application.

The platform introduced “Base Pay” for instant USDC transactions. Users can save their name, address and email for quick checkouts on supported websites, including Shopify. Coinbase plans to add 1% cashback for U.S. shoppers later this year.

New users receive a smart “Base Account” wallet that works across different applications and blockchain networks. A “Sign in with Base” feature allows single-click access to connected apps. The service currently operates in beta with a waitlist system. Coinbase expects a broader release in the coming months.

John Granata, Coinbase’s head of product for Base, said the redesign aims to expand economic freedom and creativity by creating a social network where posts become blockchain assets. Users can tip and earn money directly from their content.

Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk spoke at the launch event, calling Base App a step toward decentralized social networking. He highlighted the creator monetization features that let users earn from posts.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong compared the launch to Netscape’s browser release, saying Base App combines wallet functions, messaging, AI agents and open protocols into one accessible application for mainstream users.The app operates on Base Layer 2 blockchain, which Coinbase launched in 2023. The network has generated millions in revenue and supports features like tokenizable social posts through the Zora NFT marketplace. Base activated Flashblocks, cutting block times from two seconds to just 200 milliseconds, making it the fastest Ethereum-compatible network to date.