Summary
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Stage 1 Milestone Achieved: Base, the Coinbase-incubated Layer 2 network, has advanced to ‘Stage 1’ in Vitalik Buterin’s rollup decentralization framework, signifying reduced reliance on centralized actors.
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Fault Proofs & Security Council Implemented: This milestone was reached by deploying permissionless fault proofs (allowing challenges to invalid transactions) and establishing a decentralized Security Council (10 independent entities requiring 75% consensus for upgrades), fulfilling key Stage 1 criteria.
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Enhanced Decentralization & Security: Achieving Stage 1 means Base now operates with stronger security guarantees, reduced trust assumptions for users/developers, and distributed control over network upgrades among a broader set of stakeholders instead of relying primarily on Coinbase.
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Increased Certainty for Developers: Reaching Stage 1 provides builders on Base with greater infrastructure certainty, as critical network upgrades and functionality are now governed by a multi-stakeholder process rather than potentially unilateral decisions by a single entity.
Advancing Decentralization
Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed under Coinbase‘s incubation, has announced its progression to ‘Stage 1’ within Vitalik Buterin‘s defined framework for rollup decentralization.
This advancement signifies a notable step toward minimizing the network’s dependence on centralized operators.
Achieving Stage 1 required the implementation not only of fault proofs but also the establishment of a security council featuring decentralized governance and diminished control by Coinbase.
Key Elements for Stage 1: Fault Proofs and Security Council
The Base team said that hitting this important goal required adding permissionless fault proofs and improving how smart contract upgrades are decentralized by creating a special security council.
Initiated in August 2023, utilizing Optimism‘s OP Stack technology suite, Base has subsequently grown to become the leading Layer 2 rollup solution on Ethereum based on total value locked (TVL).
Background: Moving Beyond ‘Stage 0’
Before this upgrade, Base operated under the ‘Stage 0’ classification, often termed the ‘training wheels’ phase.
This indicated significant reliance on centralized entities, particularly its operator (Coinbase), for critical functions such as transaction sequencing and state validation, and notably lacked a fully implemented permissionless fault-proof system on its mainnet.
Initial Step: Implementing Fault Proofs
Base began its journey toward greater decentralization by deploying fault proofs on its mainnet back in October 2023.
Fault proofs serve as a vital mechanism on Ethereum Layer 2 networks, enabling any user to challenge potentially incorrect or fraudulent transaction state transitions without requiring prior authorization.
Completing Stage 1: Additional Requirements Met
Achieving the Stage 1 designation, however, necessitated more than just operational fault proofs.
Vitalik Buterin’s framework specifies additional criteria, including the presence of a fully functional, decentralized security council for governance (often implemented via multisignature wallets with external participation requirements) and measures to limit single-entity control, which Base had yet to fully satisfy despite the initial fault proof implementation.
Introducing the Decentralized Security Council
To meet these further requirements, Base has now implemented the necessary permissionless validation elements and safeguards against unilateral control.
The team announced the introduction of a ‘security council’ tasked with overseeing contract upgrades. This council comprises ten distinct, independent entities.
Crucially, any software upgrades now necessitate a 75% consensus agreement among the council members, the core Base team, and the Optimism team.
Implications: Reduced Trust and Enhanced Security
The Base team asserts that attaining Stage 1 status significantly reduces the need for users and developers to rely on trust assumptions regarding the network’s operation.
By adding both permissionless fault proofs and a decentralized security council, more people with different backgrounds will have a say in how the network works and how it gets updated.
This development is intended to provide builders with greater certainty regarding the network’s infrastructure stability, mitigating risks associated with centralized control points or unexpected rule changes, and bolstering overall security guarantees.
Also Read: “Base is for Everyone” Token Plummets 95% Following Launch on Base Blockchain
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