In response to the backlash, Base lead developer Jesse Pollak issued a public apology, explaining that the incident was unintentional. The Coinbase-backed network also admitted that its artwork unintentionally mirrored Biron’s work and promised to improve its processes to prevent similar issues in the future.

To commemorate the 1 billion transaction achievement, Base minted an NFT. However, the artwork bore a striking resemblance to a creation by digital artist Chris Biron, who accused the network of copying his work without credit. Biron claimed that Base had already earned over $36,000 in profits from the NFT at the time of his complaint.