Ethereum and Coinbase-backed Base have abandoned negotiations to create a common standard for next-generation crypto wallets, concluding that a compromise would force each network to sacrifice core priorities.
The two networks spent months attempting to merge their competing proposals before deciding the trade-offs were not worthwhile. Developers on both sides acknowledged the potential benefits of ecosystem interoperability, but determined that each chain's individual goals took precedence.
Different Technical Visions
Ethereum is advancing EIP-8141, also known as Frame Transactions, which emphasizes privacy, censorship resistance, security, and protection against potential future quantum computing threats. Base is moving forward with EIP-8130, a competing proposal that prioritizes flexibility for high-volume applications and systems with compliance requirements.
Both standards change fundamental rules around transaction approval, payment responsibility, and post-approval processes. The disagreement centered on how each network weighs these competing concerns.
Wallet Development Impact
The failed negotiations mean cross-network wallets and applications may now need to support both standards simultaneously. This creates additional complexity for developers building tools that function across both Ethereum and Base.
The original goal of the unified standard was to modernize crypto wallets by enabling features such as passkey-based login, multiple account recovery methods, sponsored transaction fees, and bundled blockchain actions. Under such a system, users would no longer need to hold ETH simply to pay network fees.
Implementation Timeline
Ethereum is pursuing EIP-8141 as part of its Hegotá upgrade, scheduled after the Glamsterdam upgrade later this year. The Ethereum Foundation included the proposal among execution-layer features for Hegotá, giving it priority status, though the standard remains under development and is not yet live on Ethereum.
Base is proceeding with EIP-8130, which is already available for testing on its Vibenet development network and is targeted for the Cobalt upgrade, with testnet and mainnet deployments currently scheduled for September.
