Coinbase's consistency issues surrounding the Base ecosystem cause ripples in the industry

Coinbase and its Layer-2 network, Base, are once again attracting attention. This is because voices from developers and the trading community are pointing out a gap between the decentralization and openness stance demonstrated by the exchange’s leadership and their actual behavior patterns.

Serious accusations of “say-do discrepancy”

The first to raise the issue was crypto asset trader rbthree. He claimed that Coinbase’s public statements regarding management policies and their actual listing strategies are inconsistent. Specifically, he pointed out cautious handling of native token listings on Base, followed by a rush of low-quality listings.

What’s more noteworthy is that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong had previously questioned the intrinsic value of meme coins, yet the exchange has been listing Solana-based meme coins one after another. Data shows that at least 11 Solana meme coins were listed on Coinbase in 2025 alone. Meanwhile, only 3 meme coins are currently listed on Base. This significant numerical difference symbolizes the dissatisfaction within the developer community.

Structural issues emerging from multiple critical perspectives

Another trader, Turtle, pointed out broader inconsistencies in support. While projects like Zora receive prominent backing, projects such as Arcadia and Giza, which received funding from Coinbase Ventures, lack visible ecosystem-level support. He warns that such contradictions could undermine trust in the entire Base ecosystem.

Community member Amy analyzed this issue from a wider perspective. She recorded a gradual reversal of trust and linked the causes to factors such as stagnation in listing processes, competitive disadvantages against Solana projects, confusion over the timing of creator coin rollouts, delays in decentralized exchange integrations, and unmet expectations for the Base app reward program. According to her, the perception of preferential treatment for partner projects is partially distancing developers and users from the chain.

Different interpretations from management

In response to these criticisms, Armstrong provided a reply. He emphasized that Coinbase is currently providing access to hundreds of millions of tokens through decentralized exchange integrations. He positions offering marketplace functions as the core role of the exchange rather than centralized listings.

Some community members also hold different views. User Zk stated that the leadership of Base, especially Jesse Pollak, is actually cooperative. He pointed out that the seemingly inconsistent phenomena are due to differing expectations. While some in the meme community focus on short-term price movements and listings, the Base team shifted its focus last year to improving the Base App.

New issues raised by the creator coin experiment

The discussion suddenly accelerated. Creator coins associated with YouTuber Nick Shirley, which briefly reached an evaluation close to $90 million, plummeted by 67% within a few hours. This dramatic fluctuation highlights the unclear true function of creator coins. Is it a mechanism to promote adoption, or merely to encourage short-term speculation? On-chain data shows strong royalty revenue, but questions about their fundamental role have emerged.

Armstrong later announced Coinbase’s priorities for 2026, including expanding to “all exchanges” and increasing on-chain users through Base and Coinbase developer tools. This is a phase where substantive actions are required to address the criticism of inconsistency.