Base activated its Azul upgrade on mainnet, introducing multiproof security and new decentralization features.
Base, the Coinbase-incubated Ethereum layer-2 network, has activated its Azul upgrade on mainnet, introducing a multiproof system and a new client stack as the network advances toward Stage 2 decentralization. Azul marks the first standalone network upgrade Base has executed independently since departing Optimism's Superchain.
The upgrade's multiproof system pairs trusted execution environment (TEE) proofs with zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to reduce reliance on any single proof type. Either proof type can finalize a proposal independently, but when both agree, withdrawal finality can be as little as one day. Permissionless ZK proofs can also override permissioned TEE proofs in the event of a conflict, a design Base says moves the chain closer to censorship resistance and full decentralization.
Azul also consolidates Base onto a single execution client, base-reth-node, and introduces base-consensus, a new consensus client built on OP Kona. The new client stack has already driven a roughly 99% reduction in empty blocks, from approximately 200 per day to around two per day, and has sustained multiple bursts of 5,000 transactions per second, according to the Base team.
The upgrade adds the CLZ opcode and aligns Base with Ethereum's Osaka execution-layer repricing specifications, which Base said requires no major rewrites for most application developers. Node operators running op-node, op-geth, nethermind, or kona must migrate to the new clients, per the protocol's technical documentation.
Azul was first deployed on testnet in April 2026 ahead of a planned May 13 mainnet activation. An Immunefi audit competition running through May 4 offered a maximum reward pool of $250,000 for critical bug discoveries ahead of the mainnet launch.
Base enters the Azul era as one of the largest ETH scaling networks by deposits, holding approximately $4.4 billion in total value locked (TVL) as of late May. The network also carries roughly $4.98 billion in stablecoin market cap, making it the leading destination for USDC liquidity among optimistic rollups.
Two additional upgrades are planned for the second half of 2026: a performance-focused release by the end of June and a user experience-focused update around the end of August, with native account abstraction on the roadmap.
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