Coinbase just ended Solana’s 2-year reign – What’s next?

Key Takeaways

Base is rapidly becoming the go-to launchpad for high-frequency token creation, taking over a position no chain had claimed from Solana in the past two years.

In a twist that’s shaking up the crypto scene, Coinbase’s Base network has overtaken Solana [SOL] in daily token launches. 

In fact, it is something no other chain has pulled off in the last two years. And, the shift that started around 26 July hasn’t slowed down since.

Driving the spike is Zora Coins. It is a launchpad built on Base, which is now pushing out over 60,000 tokens a day, peaking close to 80,000. That’s well ahead of high-volume Solana platforms like Pump.fun and LetsBonk.

Source: Dune

From a technical lens, the chart revealed a clear shift in volume dominance right after 29 June.

Solana launchpads like Pump.fun held the lead throughout May and early June, but Base-native tools like Zora and Moonshot have taken over since.

Moreover, the growing chunk of black bars (Zora) is not just a sign of higher token output. Instead, it also signals deeper network consolidation on Base, where one chain is now soaking up the lion’s share of token creation.

Rise of Base, the resilience of Solana

As the Web3 stack matures, blockchains are clearly optimizing for performance and scalability. Base is emerging as a standout. However, what’s driving this breakout?

For context, Base operates as an Ethereum Layer-2 rollup. That means it inherits Ethereum’s base-layer security while massively reducing gas costs and improving throughput. 

Plus, it’s fully EVM-compatible, making it easy for devs to deploy apps with minimal friction. Add Coinbase’s backing to the mix, and you’ve got a trusted, user-friendly entry point.

Source: Token Terminal

That being said, Solana still takes the lead on raw throughput, pushing 4,000+ transactions per second (TPS) on-chain. That kind of firepower makes it ideal for use cases like DeFi where speed is non-negotiable.

However, when it comes to token launches, Base has been stealing the spotlight. Tools like Zora and Moonshot make it super easy to spin up tokens fast. 

So, in that context, it’s less about max TPS and more about ease of use and builder energy. For memecoins, social tokens, and community drops, Base is quickly becoming the go-to chain.