Base activates B20 token standard on mainnet
Base's ERC-20-compatible framework now supports native issuance of stablecoins, real-world assets and tokenized stocks, while the Beryl upgrade also shortens the standard withdrawal period to five days from seven.
Base has activated the B20 token standard on its Ethereum layer-2 mainnet, enabling developers to issue native stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, tokenized stocks and other fungible tokens without deploying separate ERC-20 contracts. The Coinbase-backed network says B20 remains compatible with ERC-20 wallets, exchanges and indexers, supports ERC-2612 permit functionality, and adds built-in issuer controls such as minting, burning, pausing, transfer restrictions, supply limits and transaction notes. The change also reduces the standard withdrawal waiting period from Base to Ethereum to five days from seven. B20 was introduced through the Beryl upgrade, which reached mainnet on June 26 after a one-day delay because the B20 Activation Registry needed additional initialization time. Base separately reported sequencer-related block-production halts on June 25 and June 26, saying those incidents were unrelated to the upgrade. A newer source had presented conflicting timing and delay claims, but the latest update says B20 was enabled on mainnet on the 8th.
- B20 token standard: Base's protocol-level framework for issuing fungible tokens such as stablecoins and tokenized assets while remaining compatible with ERC-20 infrastructure.
- ERC-2612 permit functionality: A token feature that lets users approve spending through signatures instead of sending a separate onchain approval transaction first.
- sequencer: A layer-2 component that orders transactions and helps produce blocks before they are finalized on the underlying network.