Base, the Coinbase-backed Layer 2 network, has launched its long-awaited “Base Azul” upgrade on mainnet. This release brings significant improvements in scalability, decentralization, and the developer experience.
The Base team called Azul the network’s first independent upgrade. Specifically, it is Base’s first independent network upgrade since departing the Optimism Superchain framework; a structurally important milestone that signals Base taking full ownership of its own upgrade cycle, separate from the broader Optimism Stack release cadence.
According to the announcement, the upgrade introduces a streamlined infrastructure stack, enhanced proof systems, and compatibility with Ethereum’s latest Fusaka upgrade, specifically the Osaka execution-layer specifications.
“Azul makes Base more secure, more performant, and easier to build on,” the Base Engineering team wrote in its official blog post.
Originally scheduled to activate on May 13, 2026, the upgrade went live on mainnet on May 28, 2026, roughly two weeks after the target. The team used the intervening period to implement additional performance improvements to the proof nodes so Azul would launch as performant and secure as possible.
Multiproof system adds security and faster withdrawals
One of the biggest upgrades introduced through Azul is the activation of a new “multiproof” system combining Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) proofs and Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs.
Base said the architecture improves both decentralization and withdrawal security by allowing either proof type to independently finalize transactions. When both proof systems agree, withdrawals can reportedly finalize in as little as one day.
The company stated, “An attacker would need to compromise multiple independent systems for fast withdrawals, not just one.”
The system is designed as an intermediate step toward full ZK proving and near-instant withdrawals in the future. Base also noted that posting ZK proofs remains permissionless and can override TEE proofs if inconsistencies appear onchain.
Base targets 1 Gigagas and 5,000 TPS scaling
The Azul upgrade also consolidates Base onto a single high-performance client stack.
Under the new structure:
- base-reth-node becomes the network’s primary execution client
- base-consensus, built on Kona, becomes the new consensus client
According to Base, the network has already sustained multiple bursts of roughly 5,000 transactions per second (TPS) during testing. The team added that the broader goal is eventually reaching “1 gigagas/s per second” throughput as future upgrades roll out.
Over the past two months, Base claims it has reduced empty blocks by nearly 99%, improved validator performance, accelerated client release cycles, and increased historical sync speeds.
Ethereum Fusaka upgrades improve developer experience
Azul also aligns Base more closely with Ethereum through support for the latest Osaka execution-layer updates.
The upgrade includes EIP-7939 CLZ opcode support, EIP-7825 transaction gas limit cap, updated MODEXP gas pricing, flashblocks payload optimization, and secp256r1 precompile repricing
Base said most developers will not need to make major application changes, though projects heavily using MODEXP operations or Flashblocks integrations may need to review the updated specifications.
Base continues push toward decentralization
The launch reflects Base’s broader strategy to simplify infrastructure while gradually moving toward Stage 2 decentralization.
The next major upgrade after Azul is expected by end of June 2026 and will include native account abstraction, an enshrined token standard, Flashblock Access Lists, and further withdrawal-time reductions. A separate user-experience-focused release is targeted for the end of August 2026. Additionally, Base confirmed that VibeNet will launch as a public devnet in mid-May 2026, giving developers an early environment to test upcoming features before they reach mainnet.
Base stated that future upgrades will continue focusing on performance, decentralization, and scaling infrastructure capable of supporting billions of users.
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