Coinbase (COIN) is changing the name of the Base App back to Coinbase Wallet, undoing the title adjustment performed slightly over a year ago as the firm re-focuses the self-custodial software toward exchange activities and wider multichain connectivity.
Ryan Kass, Head of Coinbase Wallet Product, explained to The Block that Coinbase Wallet will function as an experimental testing ground for tokens and digital goods absent from the primary centralized exchange. The initial instance involves perpetual swaps driven by Hyperliquid, alongside support for long-tail tokens and future network integrations upon their launch. Prediction contracts and tokenized equities are also integrated. Since all transactions inside Coinbase Wallet execute onchain, participants can track favored traders to secure extra alpha, noted Kass.
Elucidating the transition, Coinbase stated the Base App transformed into a broader multichain exchange environment, justifying the return of the Coinbase Wallet moniker while preserving the top features of the Base App.
When questioned about the rapid shift in direction, Kass remarked that Coinbase prides itself on agility and timely pivots. The Coinbase Wallet title more accurately reflects the utility of the product as the self-custodial gateway to the universal exchange. While the Base application functioned as a specific test, Coinbase Wallet grants patrons entry to total onchain finance.
Coinbase promotes the wallet around zero KYC, instant access, and no geographical limits, stating participants can acquire the software and begin exchanging within minutes while reaching new assets faster. Still, specific capabilities remain subject to regional limitations per their website.
The wallet preserves its self-custodial nature, ensuring individuals maintain control of their private keys. Digital assets become available by default once generated on a supported network, Kass mentioned, and Coinbase Wallet will identify and conceal fraudulent or dangerous tokens. However, novel markets and asset categories, such as forecasts or tokenized shares, undergo rigorous product and regulatory evaluations prior to deployment within the software, he added.
Coinbase generates revenue from the wallet through transaction and service fees, although management declined to provide further specifics regarding the fee schedule. Furthermore, management chose not to reveal whether the pivot toward trading has boosted active user metrics.
Base App rebrand reversal
Coinbase changed the name of Coinbase Wallet to the Base App during July 2025, advertising it as an all-in-one hub merging social interaction, mini-programs, messaging, transfers, and trading. Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong mentioned in March that the social trial for the Base app failed to meet expectations and that the program had shifted toward exchange operations to act as a self-custodial variant of the primary Coinbase platform.
In July, Base founder Jesse Pollak transferred oversight of the application to Jordan “Cobie” Fish after conceding that certain community and creator functions underperformed. Speaking on The Starting Block podcast, Pollak informed The Block that the offering would become less reliant on Base as it scaled into a comprehensive exchange ecosystem.
Following the rebranding, Coinbase Wallet accommodates Base, Robinhood Chain, Solana, Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Monad, Optimism, Arbitrum, Polygon, and Avalanche, with intentions for continuous expansion. Robinhood Chain and Monad represent recent additions compared against the networks previously supported by the Base App.
Nonetheless, Base maintains a significant function inside Coinbase Wallet. Base stays fundamental to Coinbase Wallet, and community members will observe Base items naturally emerging inside the platform as they gain traction, stated Kass. We believe highlighting Base assets alongside other prominent networks offers a fantastic discovery avenue.
Originally published at https://www.theblock.co/news/defi/2026-09-10-coinbase-rebrands-base-app-back-to-coinbase-wallet-after-just-over-a-year-as-social-experiment-falls-short-414115.
