Solana News Today: Zora Drives Base's Token Launch Surge Challenging Solana

Ethereum's layer-2 network, Base, is challenging Solana’s dominance in token launches, driven by a surge in SocialFi activity, particularly through the integration of Zora. This has positioned Base as a rising contender in the space, with recent data showing an exponential increase in new token creations on the platform [1]. The momentum began with Coinbase’s July 16 rebrand of its wallet to the Base App, which transformed it into a hub for creators to mint and trade tokenized content using tools like Zora and Farcaster. The immediate impact was significant: Base recorded 7,557 new token launches on July 16, rising to 22,098 just the next day [2].

Zora quickly became a focal point of this movement. On July 17, it outperformed Solana's Pump.fun in token launches and by July 23, it surpassed Solana’s rival memecoin platforms, including LetsBonk, with 38,254 new tokens launched—surpassing the combined total of Solana’s platforms, which registered 29,012 [3]. Alexander Cutler, CEO of Aerodrome, a decentralized exchange on Base, argued that Zora’s appeal lies in its ability to reward heavy social media users for their daily activities [4]. However, not all are convinced of Zora’s long-term value. Brian Huang, co-founder of Glider, warned that most Zora tokens lack liquidity and risk fading as another blockchain fad [5].

Despite the impressive numbers, Solana still outpaces Base in broader activity metrics. It continues to benefit from established liquidity pools, mature decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and a developer community accustomed to rapid iteration [6]. Solana is also in the process of adopting Firedancer, which is expected to significantly boost its throughput—internal tests have already shown up to 1 million transactions per second (TPS) [7]. In comparison, Base reached a peak of 959 TPS during a high-volume token launch, highlighting the scale of performance Solana currently holds [8].

The debate over the value of tokenized content remains central. Critics argue that simply creating a token does not equate to value or utility, and many Zora tokens suffer from the same lack of liquidity and attention that has plagued Solana’s Pump.fun tokens. Cointelegraph reported that nearly 99% of tokens on Pump.fun fail to gain traction, a trend that appears to mirror Zora’s current situation [9]. Yet, Zora’s appeal lies in its cultural hook—content creation as a form of monetization—and for now, that novelty is driving engagement [10].

The platform is also attracting attention from key figures in the crypto space, including influencer and investor Zion Thomas, known as the “Solana guy,” who has shown interest in Zora [11]. This further underscores the platform’s growing influence and its potential to reshape the token launch landscape. However, Solana’s ecosystem remains robust, with years of development supporting its infrastructure and user base [12].

For Base to truly dethrone Solana, it must prove that the viral nature of Zora can translate into sustainable ecosystems with real liquidity and lasting user engagement. Until then, the Zora-driven surge may be remembered as a notable but short-lived episode in the ever-evolving world of blockchain-based content creation and token economics [13].

Source: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

[1] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

Url: https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/689c9802eb83fa2493c37fdb/

[2] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[3] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[4] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[5] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[6] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[7] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[8] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[9] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[10] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[11] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[12] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?

[13] Title: Is Zora turning Ethereum L2 Base into a Solana killer?