Coinbase Faces Backlash as Base Devs Point to “Corporate Double Speak”
Coinbase is dealing with renewed scrutiny from elements of the crypto neighborhood after criticism from Base builders and merchants reignited a long-running debate over how the change helps initiatives constructed inside its ecosystem.
The newest backlash facilities on accusations of “company double-speak,” with critics arguing that Coinbase’s public messaging round openness and decentralization has not all the time aligned with its actions, notably round token listings and ecosystem assist.
Traders Call Out Coinbase Over Base and Memecoin Listings
The dialogue gained traction after a crypto dealer posting below the identify rbthreek criticized Coinbase management on X, pointing to what he described as a persistent hole between statements and habits.
He referenced Coinbase’s earlier reluctance to record tokens native to Base, its Ethereum layer-2 community.
When listings ultimately got here, he argued, they had been poorly dealt with and adopted by what he described as a wave of low-quality listings, reinforcing skepticism amongst builders and merchants.
He additionally highlighted feedback beforehand made by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong questioning the substance of meme cash, contrasting these remarks with the change’s resolution to record a number of Solana-based meme cash that later suffered steep losses, whereas solely a handful of Base meme cash have been listed to date.
According to merchants, Coinbase listed at the least 11 Solana-based meme cash in 2025, lots of which later fell sharply in worth, whereas solely three Base meme cash have been listed to date.
Another dealer, Turtle, said Coinbase had failed to visibly assist initiatives backed by Coinbase Ventures, such as Arcadia and Giza, regardless of selling different initiatives like Zora.
He argued that model optics matter and that inconsistent assist dangers undermining confidence within the broader Base ecosystem.
Not all voices had been important, as a person identified as Zk stated Base management, notably Jesse Pollak, had been supportive in follow and suggested that tensions stem partly from differing expectations.
I feel Jesse helps memes tbh. He’s been nothing however wonderful in my expertise, and he has been essentially the most supportive coinbase employees of anybody.
Brian would not seem to get them from the video he made, and it is completely fallacious that they’re only a image and a reputation hooked up…
— zk.
(@zk_lmao) January 1, 2026
He argued that some meme communities targeted totally on short-term worth motion and listings relatively than long-term collaboration, and that the Base crew’s focus shifted final yr as it labored to ship the Base app.
According to Zk, a lot of the frustration displays a shared need for Base to succeed, even when contributors disagree on how that ought to occur.
Concerns about sentiment had been additional detailed by a person named Amy, who traced what she described as a gradual reversal in Base neighborhood confidence.
She linked the downturn to stalled change listings, competitors with Solana-based memes, confusion across the rollout of creator and “coined content material” tokens, delayed decentralized change integration, and unmet expectations across the Base app’s rewards and inclusion.
She stated perceptions that Coinbase favored affiliated initiatives led some builders and customers to go away the chain.
Creator Coins Test Coinbase’s Vision for an Open Marketplace
Armstrong responded straight to the dialogue, saying Coinbase now gives entry to tens of millions of tokens by means of decentralized change integrations.
He reiterated that centralized listings are extra advanced and never endorsements, framing Coinbase’s function as offering a market relatively than making judgments on worth.
In a subsequent put up, Armstrong outlined Coinbase’s priorities for 2026, together with increasing an “the whole lot change” and bringing extra customers on-chain by means of Base and Coinbase’s developer instruments.
The debate intensified after a creator token tied to YouTuber Nick Shirley on Base briefly neared a $9 million valuation before plunging 67% within hours. On-chain information confirmed robust royalty earnings, elevating questions on whether or not creator tokens drive adoption or short-term hypothesis.
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