Base creator Jesse Pollak has acknowledged that the network’s multi-year bet on onchain social products did not deliver the expected growth. According to Pollak, the first quarter of 2026 was a turning point after Base spent nearly two years betting that developers and social applications would drive the next stage of crypto adoption. The network’s products, including Farcaster, Zora, mini apps, and creator coins, did not become the growth engines Base had expected. Pollak accepted responsibility for the outcome, stating that he had been wrong about the strategy.
New Priorities
Pollak has handed responsibility for the Base App back to Coinbase, allowing him to concentrate on developing the Base blockchain itself. Crypto investor Jordan Fish, also known as Cobie, will oversee the app’s next phase within Coinbase. Base will now focus on three priorities throughout 2026: trading, payments, and AI agents. The network plans to support more onchain assets, including tokenized stocks, meme tokens, and application tokens, and expand stablecoin use for consumers and businesses.
Future Plans
Pollak has argued that AI agents represent an important use case for crypto, as autonomous software can move funds through APIs and smart contracts without traditional payment systems. Base has recorded quarterly growth in decentralized exchange market share and payment volume, although figures were not disclosed. The renewed focus on payments comes as stablecoin economics face increasing competitive pressure across the industry. Base intends to become the blockchain where global financial activity settles over the coming decades, according to Pollak.
Based on reporting from crypto.news.
