Base Network Resumes Block Production Following Temporary Disruption

TLDR

Table of Contents

Coinbase’s Base Network faced a 30-minute outage impacting withdrawals, deposits, and block production.
The outage on the Base Network occurred due to issues with the sequencer, halting block production.
After 30 minutes, the Base Network resolved the issue and resumed normal operation.
The surge in activity on Base may have contributed to the technical issues faced during the outage.

Coinbase’s Layer 2 network, Base, has resumed its block production after experiencing a temporary outage. The network first reported the issue early in the morning on August 5, 2025, around 1:15 AM EDT. According to the official status page, the disruption caused delays across several key services, including deposits, withdrawals, and block production, affecting the network’s ability to process transactions.

While the network did not provide immediate details on the cause, it quickly identified the source of the problem. Within approximately 30 minutes, Base confirmed that the issue had been resolved and block production resumed. The outage also impacted the Flashblock feature, which is often used to speed up transaction processing.

Cause of the Temporary Halt in Block Production

The reason behind the disruption appears to be related to a delay in block production. Base has not disclosed a detailed explanation of what caused the interruption, but such outages are common in blockchain networks, especially during periods of high activity.

Base has seen a significant uptick in usage, particularly since the launch of its rebranded Base App, which has integrated services like Zora and Farcaster. These additions have contributed to a surge in network traffic, with token launches on the network jumping from around 6,649 in early July to nearly 50,000 by month’s end.

With the increased activity, the network has been under additional strain, which may have contributed to the technical difficulties encountered. This surge has made the network more susceptible to potential disruptions, although the technical team quickly identified and addressed the issue.

Understanding the “Unsafe Head” Delay

The incident also highlighted the significance of an “unsafe head” delay, a situation where the latest block on a blockchain, known as the “unsafe head,” does not progress as expected. In the case of Base, the sequencer—a central component of the Layer 2 rollup—was temporarily halted. The sequencer plays a critical role in batching transactions and posting them to the Ethereum mainnet.

When the sequencer experiences issues, block production is paused. Base, like many other Layer 2 rollups, currently operates with a centralized sequencer, which can lead to problems in cases where it fails or encounters issues. In these cases, block production ceases until the issue is resolved, as was seen on August 5.

Without a decentralized sequencer or fallback mechanisms, the network becomes more prone to such outages. Coinbase’s Base has yet to implement additional failover solutions, which could help prevent future delays.

Resumption of Normal Operations and Network Recovery

By 1:45 AM EDT, Base confirmed that it had resolved the issue, allowing block production to return to normal. Users were reassured that the network was back online and that deposits, withdrawals, and other functionalities had been restored. However, the network continued to monitor for any lingering problems.

Following the outage, users were advised to proceed with caution, especially regarding deposits and contract calls, until the full details of the disruption were made available. While the issue was classified as a technical bug rather than a more severe problem, it highlighted some of the challenges that come with using centralized sequencers in Layer 2 rollups.

Coinbase’s Base Network has continued to grow rapidly, and this brief interruption serves as a reminder of the importance of robust infrastructure and decentralized solutions in maintaining network stability.

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