Base App Shifts Product Strategy to Focus on Enhancing On-Chain Transaction Experience

Base App, the multi-function platform developed by Coinbase, has announced it will discontinue its Creator Rewards program and Farcaster-powered social feed as part of a strategic shift to focus entirely on tradable assets. The decision was confirmed on Monday and marks a significant pivot in the app's development direction.

The Creator Rewards program, launched in July 2025, was designed to incentivize user engagement and activity within the Ethereum layer 2 network. Over seven months, the program distributed approximately $450,000 to 17,000 creators, averaging $26 per creator in payouts.

The shift aligns with Coinbase's broader mission to develop a unified platform across spot crypto and derivatives trading, stablecoins, and real-world asset tokenization. Base App, launched in December, serves as a self-custody wallet and all-in-one app for trading and managing digital assets.

Why Did Base App Make This Shift?

Base App's creator Jesse Pollak explained that the company realized the need to prioritize one core focus: trading. "The app needs to have one primary focus, and that thing is trading," Pollak said. This decision reflects the need to streamline the product and improve its overall user experience.

Pollak also acknowledged that the Base App was an imperfect fit for the Farcaster talk feed feature. However, he emphasized the app's commitment to supporting the decentralized social network and its developer ecosystem moving forward.

What Does This Mean for the Base Ecosystem?

The change will take effect by Sunday, with final payouts for the Creator Rewards program scheduled for February 18. While this move will affect the social feed and rewards, it will not impact the Base App's Creator Coins program, which allows users to create ERC-20 tokens tied to their Base App profile and decentralized social media platform Zora.

The transition is expected to benefit users by consolidating the app's features around trading. This focus on a single primary function is intended to improve the platform's efficiency and usability for its core user base. The Base App is a central component of Coinbase's vision for an "Everything App" experience across digital assets and trading.

Broader Market Trends and Implications

The Base App's pivot reflects a larger trend in the crypto space where companies are refining their product offerings to meet user demand and market conditions. Other recent developments in the fintech space include HTX's launch of USDe minting and redemption services, as well as a daily rewards program for USDe holders.

In the broader financial technology landscape, the stock trading and investing applications market is projected to grow to $76.59 billion in 2026 and reach $150.82 billion by 2030. This growth is driven by increased retail investor participation and advancements in mobile trading platforms.

The shift in Base App's focus also comes amid regulatory changes in China, where the China Securities Regulatory Commission has introduced tighter oversight on tokenized asset-backed securities tied to onshore assets. These developments highlight the evolving regulatory and competitive landscape in the fintech and crypto sectors.

As the market continues to evolve, companies like Base App are adapting their strategies to remain competitive and meet the changing expectations of investors and users. This pivot underscores the importance of staying agile in a fast-moving industry where user preferences and technological advancements play a critical role in shaping product direction.