Base hits historic record with 3.5 million daily active users

Base, Coinbase's layer 2 network, surpassed 3.5 million daily active addresses in July 2025. The record highlights its role in Web3 adoption, driven by initiatives like Onchain Summer and the growing use of dApps on its infrastructure.

What is Base and Why Is It Growing?

Base is a layer 2 network built on Ethereum, designed to enable faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions. It was developed by Coinbase to provide an infrastructure that remains compatible with the Ethereum ecosystem while improving scalability and reducing costs.

In recent months, Base has gained traction as an attractive platform for developers and users, with well-known applications like Uniswap, Aave, and Web3 games leveraging its infrastructure to enhance user experiences.

The 3.5 Million Daily Active Users Milestone

According to data published by specialized accounts, Base exceeded 3.5 million daily active addresses between June and July 2025. This figure marks a historic milestone among layer 2 networks, placing Base alongside others like Arbitrum and Optimism in daily activity.

Key highlights include:

• 3.3 million stablecoin interactions in June, with a 280% quarter-over-quarter growth.
• 28.4 million monthly active addresses as of July 19.
• Base remains one of the most active networks in terms of transaction volume and new user growth.

What Drove This Growth?

Several initiatives and ecosystem features contributed to the increase in activity on Base:

• Onchain Summer: This Coinbase-led campaign offered rewards in tokens and NFTs to users interacting with dApps. The 2025 edition continued to attract new users.
• Basenames: The launch of usernames on Base simplified wallet identification, reducing friction for newcomers.
• dApp integrations: Platforms like Uniswap, Aave, and Web3 games adopted Base as a faster and more affordable alternative to Ethereum.
• Low fees: Base’s reduced transaction costs attract users with high-frequency activity, especially in gaming or DeFi environments.
• Coinbase support: Institutional backing and Coinbase’s technical infrastructure build trust among users and developers alike.

Together, these efforts have built an appealing environment where the user experience improves without sacrificing security or compatibility.

Current Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite continued growth, Base also faces some challenges:

• Seasonality and fluctuations: A 48.1% drop after the peak suggests the surge may be linked to short-term events like promotional campaigns.
• Competition: Networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync are also expanding and competing for user and developer attention.
• Regulation: Evolving crypto regulations may affect growth, especially given Base's link to a public company like Coinbase.

Looking ahead, new campaigns like a potential 2026 edition of Onchain Summer acould keep user momentum going. A wider adoption of tools like basenames and further dApp ecosystem expansion into areas like social or educational Web3 apps are also anticipated.