Strategic Shift Focused on AI, Payments, and On-Chain Negotiation

The Base blockchain developed by Coinbase is undergoing a strategic adjustment after its founder Jesse Pollak acknowledged that the bet on on-chain social applications did not yield the expected results. From now on, the network will concentrate on three pillars for 2026: trading, payments, and AI agents.

As part of this restructuring, Pollak has returned the Base application to Coinbase. The next phase of the product will be led by investor Jordan Fish, known as Cobie; he recently expanded his collaboration with the company after reaching a deal totaling US$400 million, which includes the acquisition of the Echo platform and an NFT related to the podcast UpOnly.

According to Pollak, the first quarter of 2026 represents a moment of reflection for the project. For nearly two years, Base's bet on social experiences and creator-focused tools was expected to drive cryptocurrency adoption. Despite progress in areas like stablecoins and perpetual contracts, products such as Farcaster, Zora, mini-apps, and creator tokens did not achieve the anticipated growth.

"I was wrong," Pollak wrote on Wednesday, adding that it is currently unclear whether this strategy was poorly designed or fundamentally flawed.

The executive stated that this choice also caused Base to lose its competitive edge in areas such as trading, asset tokenization, and corporate payments. According to him, the shift in direction began earlier this year when the platform started prioritizing trading experiences after receiving user criticism.

Now, Base plans to expand the supply of tokenized assets, including stocks, meme coins, and application tokens. Additionally, it aims to broaden the use of stablecoins globally for individuals and businesses, and develop financial infrastructure for AI agents to enable automated payments through APIs and smart contracts.

"We will integrate Base into the blockchain of global finance and do everything we can to make it the place where the world's funds are settled for the next century," Pollak said.

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