Base is a public blockchain built by Coinbase. A blockchain is a shared ledger, kept in agreement by many computers, that records transfers of money and tokens so that they cannot be changed later. Base is an Ethereum L2 (layer 2): a network that processes transactions on its own and records its results on a larger base chain, here Ethereum.
Apps connect to Base Mainnet, or to the Base Sepolia test network, through RPC endpoints (the addresses to which programs send blockchain requests). Stablecoin issuance, payments and compliance controls are built into the chain, so a project does not have to write and audit its own contracts for them. A stablecoin is a token that keeps the value of a currency such as the US dollar. Transactions settle in under a second and cost less than one cent. Base also supports payments made by AI agents, agent wallets with spending limits, and tokens for real-world assets such as stocks.
Base is open to all. Users pay a small network fee for each transaction and bring funds from a Coinbase account or over a bridge from another chain.