Coinbase's Base Deploys Fault Proofs on Testnet in Progress Towards Decentralization

Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by Coinbase, announced the deployment of fault proofs on the Sepolia testnet on July 23, marking a critical step in its journey towards "Stage 1" decentralization.

Currently, only Base’s centralized proposer has the authority to submit the network’s state root to the Ethereum mainnet for validation, a system Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin refers to as Stage 0 decentralization. The introduction of fault proofs on the mainnet will enable permissionless state validation, allowing anyone to propose or challenge Base’s state, thereby reaching Stage 1 decentralization.

The recent deployment is a pivotal move forward. “We’re taking a major step towards the next phase of decentralization: fault proofs are now live on the Base Sepolia testnet,” Base stated. “This launch is crucial for securely bringing fault proofs to the mainnet and achieving other milestones needed for Stage 1 Decentralization.”

“Fault proofs are essential for community-driven accountability and control, reducing reliance on a centralized party for state verification,” Base explained. “Launching fault proofs on the Sepolia testnet allows us to conduct additional testing to ensure a secure transition to the mainnet.”

Buterin describes Stage 1 decentralization as maintaining “limited training wheels,” where a centralized security council, comprising external stakeholders like prominent ecosystem and community members, has the authority to override fault proofs in case of bugs. These overrides require approval from both the chain operators and the security council. Stage 2 decentralization is achieved when state root changes can only occur in the event of a bug, with all contract upgrades subjected to a 30-day delay.