Key Takeaways:
Coinbase's Ethereum layer-2 network Base is preparing to launch 1:1-backed tokenized equities, with creator Jesse Pollak describing the rollout as imminent as the platform pivots from social applications toward financial infrastructure.
"Imminent — dotting i's and crossing t's, but should be very soon," Pollak said in a Tuesday post on X, responding to a question about the timeline for launching tokenized equities on Base. The Coinbase-backed L2's lead developer acknowledged that Robinhood Chain, the recently launched Ethereum layer-2, had gotten tokenized equities in an EVM environment right, adding that Base was behind on that front.
The tokenized equities will be fully backed and held in regulated custody, offering on-chain transfer and redemption rights along with automatic dividend pass-through, according to Pollak's earlier statements. Users will be able to access tokenized shares of US companies including Apple and Tesla, expanding the real-world asset infrastructure on Base. The launch follows the SEC's approval of Nasdaq's tokenized securities rule earlier this year, which provided a clearer regulatory pathway for such products.
The move marks a strategic shift for Base, which Pollak recently said made a "wrong bet" by prioritizing creator, content and messaging applications. The network is now focused on trading, payments, AI agents and tokenized assets. The pivot toward financial use cases has also influenced market expectations around a potential Base token launch — prediction markets now price a 12.5% probability of Base launching a token by Dec. 31, 2026, up from 10% a day earlier, according to Vera data.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
