Coinbase-Backed Base Claims It Can “Flip” Solana, Sees Pushback

Key Insights

• Coinbase-backed Base’s reversal on launching a native token reignited long-running tensions with Solana Foundation members.
• Base contributors faced accusations of trying to displace Solana entirely.
• Supporters like Alexander Cutler claim a Base token could inject “billions” into the ecosystem.
• Critics highlight conflicts of interest and past denials from Coinbase and Base leadership.
• Bridge announcements and messaging about “ecosystem cooperation” failed to calm either side.

Base chain by Coinbase ignited fresh debate as reported in crypto news on December 4, 2025. This occurred even as a Solana bridge launch secured by Chainlink’s CCIP was announced.

The bridge enables seamless asset transfers between the ecosystems. Yet the move sparked immediate backlash from Solana loyalists who accused Base of predatory intent.

This escalated a rivalry that saw Base TVL surge 20% to $10 billion in November while Solana held steady at $5.2 billion, as per DefiLlama data that month.

Jesse Pollak, Base’s creator, defended the bridge in a December 4 X post, stating it gives “Solana assets access to the Base economy and Base assets to Solana.”

However, critics like Vibhu (@vibhu) fired back, stating that the Coinbase team “didn’t set up a single Solana partner for launch.”

As Base processes 1.5 billion transactions monthly, 70% trading volume, the bridge supports SOL, CHILLHOUSE, and SPL tokens, per the official Base blog post.

This potentially unlocked $450 million in weekly cross-chain flows based on Aerodrome’s Solana volumes.

For Coinbase, this crypto news reinforces Base’s interoperability push amid Solana’s 65,000 TPS edge.

However, the feud highlights growing pains in layer-2 competition where user mindshare battles liquidity.

Base, Solana Rivalry Heats Up in Crypto News Threads

The feud traces to September 16, 2025, when Aerodrome posted a clip of Alexander saying, “If you had any doubts that @Base was not going to just flip @Solana… they’ve been removed.”

Mert (@0xMert_), Helius CEO, replied on December 4 with a scathing takedown: “that dude is basically what you get if you microwave craft beer, cedar wood oil, rotten cheese, and the cerebral capacity of 18 karens.”

Pollak responded December 4: “…we just built a bridge to solana! because we think solana assets deserve to have access to the base economy.”

However, Vibhu countered: “You didn’t set up a single Solana partner for launch, didn’t talk to Solana foundation marketing or ops, just dropped a repo.”

Source: X

Alexander clapped back on December 4: “Base today is already doing about 1/3 of Solana’s volumes — 70% of which is just trading $SOL.”

This crypto news echoes earlier tensions. In September, Aerodrome’s “flip Solana” rhetoric drew Solana defenders like Hoyt Fowler (@HoytFowler3): “Why the constant attacks on @solana? It’s a bad look.”

Leonidas (@LeonidasNFT) weighed in December 4: “Base did the exact same thing to Ethereum,” warning of mindshare theft.

Coinbase Base Strategy: Interoperability or Ecosystem Grab?

Coinbase positions Base as Ethereum’s consumer L2, with the Solana bridge extending reach. The blog post December 4 emphasized:

Supported assets include SOL and SPL tokens like CHILLHOUSE and TRENCHER, with integrations for Aerodrome’s launcher and Zora’s NFT marketplace.

Base’s growth bolsters this: 1.5 billion transactions in November, per Base dashboard December 4. Chainalysis also reported $420 million weekly USDC volumes on Solana post-migration on December 1.

Solana counters with 65,000 TPS audited by OtterSec November 2025, but Base’s Coinbase wallet onboarding — 8.6 million monthly users, Q3 earnings November 7 — drives 70% of activity from SOL trades.

Critics see aggression. Vibhu’s thread December 4 accused Base of “PMM game” — predatory market making — without Solana ops input.

Alexander defended December 4: “less friction to competition is generally good for all.” However, Harri (@Harri_obi) mocked: “How’s the Solana flipping going?” in a reply chain.

Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2025/12/05/coinbase-backed-base-claims-it-can-flip-solana-sees-pushback/