Coinbase Launches Base App With AI and Payments

Coinbase has rebranded its Coinbase Wallet as the Base App, a Web3 'everything app' announced at the 'A New Day One' event in Los Angeles. The platform integrates crypto trading, payments, social media, messaging, mini-apps, and AI tools, all powered by Coinbase's Ethereum Layer 2 Base network. Notable features include a Farcaster-powered social feed, tokenized posts for creator monetization, embedded mini-apps, a cross-chain smart wallet, and one-tap USDC payments, with Apple Pay integration for streamlined transactions. Shopify merchants can already use the USDC-based Base Pay checkout system. The Base App is currently in beta for waitlisted users, with a broader rollout planned and some features unavailable in the EU or Canada. Industry observers see this as Coinbase's boldest consumer pivot, aiming to replicate the 'super app' model from Asia and diversify revenue beyond trading fees.