Base has activated Cobalt, its third major upgrade, adding conditional transactions for traders and new compliance and administrative features for issuers of tokenized assets. The Ethereum layer-2 network is positioning the update as part of a broader effort to support onchain finance.
New controls for token issuers
Cobalt expands Base’s B20 token standard, which supports stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and other fungible tokens. The upgrade allows an issuer to attach multiple compliance requirements to the same asset rather than relying on a single check.
Possible conditions include completing an identity check, meeting the definition of an accredited investor and avoiding inclusion on a sanctions list. These tools are designed to help issuers apply eligibility rules before tokens are transferred to a recipient.
The upgrade also supports scheduled changes for corporate actions such as stock splits. When such an adjustment takes place, the number of shares displayed in wallets and applications can change without creating or destroying tokens and without changing the holder’s underlying balance.
Cobalt further gives issuers the option to authorize administrators to move tokens out of a holder’s wallet without that holder’s approval. A public note can be attached to the transfer. Base said the issuer determines whether to activate this capability and which administrators may use it; Base itself cannot start these transfers.
Together, the features add compliance and operational functions that issuers may need when bringing traditional financial products onto a blockchain. A tokenized asset is a digital representation of an asset or financial instrument recorded onchain, while an issuer is the entity responsible for creating and managing that token.
Trades can wait for onchain conditions
Cobalt also introduces Validity Transactions. Under this system, a user can submit a transaction that becomes eligible for inclusion in a block only after specified conditions on the blockchain have been met.
For example, a trader could submit a swap that is eligible only if an asset reaches a chosen price before a particular block deadline. Base holds the transaction and checks the relevant blockchain state as each new block is assembled. Transactions submitted through the system can remain private until they are included in a block, according to Base.
The feature gives users more control over when a transaction can proceed. It differs from a transaction that is immediately eligible for processing because the conditions are evaluated against the chain’s state before inclusion.
According to Cointelegraph, Cobalt was activated on Wednesday as Base’s third major upgrade. The network is an Ethereum layer-2 blockchain, meaning it is designed to process activity connected with Ethereum while operating through its own network infrastructure.
Base’s widening financial focus
The upgrade follows several recent steps by Base toward tokenized finance. Base activated the B20 standard on July 8 as a native standard for stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and other fungible tokens. The standard allows issuers to create those assets without developing custom token contracts.
On July 16, Base creator Jesse Pollak said the network had made a “wrong bet” by concentrating on creator, content and messaging applications. He said Base had fallen behind in areas that included prediction markets and perpetual futures, and that financial applications such as trading and payments would receive greater attention as the network sought to develop into a blockchain for global finance.
The B20 standard later received a prominent application. On Aug. 25, Coinbase launched tokenized US stocks on Base, issuing B20 tokens representing shares in Apple, Nvidia, Meta and Alphabet. The source material also identifies the tokenization of the Coinbase Bitcoin Yield Fund by Coinbase and Apex Group as a related development.
Base said it plans to reduce block times over the coming months from two seconds to 200 milliseconds. It also plans to add protocol-level support for sponsored transaction fees and bundled transactions, and to adopt some technical changes planned for Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade.
Moneyiar market picture
Moneyiar data at the stated times show mixed moves among the listed assets:
- Lighter (LIT): $4.0164594953, up 4.88% over 24 hours and down 24.01% over seven days, as of 2026-10-01 09:13 +03:30.
- Compound (COMP): $24.4448051131, down 4.57% over 24 hours and up 5.36% over seven days, as of 2026-10-01 09:13 +03:30.
- BAS (BAS): $0.0240858184, up 7.14% over 24 hours and up 3.79% over seven days, as of 2026-10-01 09:14 +03:30.
- REAL (ASSET): $0.2227338287, down 4.47% over 24 hours and down 3.46% over seven days, as of 2026-09-25 22:04 +03:30.
These figures describe the supplied market snapshot and do not measure the direct effect of the Cobalt upgrade.
