Base, the Coinbase-incubated Ethereum layer 2 network, has activated Denim, its fourth major upgrade, on the mainnet after testing the release on Sepolia last month.
Denim reduces block times tenfold to 200 milliseconds from two seconds, bringing the blockchain closer to transaction speeds expected in trading and payment applications, the team said Thursday.
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— Base Build (@buildonbase) November 5, 2026
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— Base Build (@buildonbase) November 5, 2026
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The upgrade replaces Flashblocks with five complete canonical blocks per second, meaning transactions included in a block are confirmed on the chain rather than appearing first in a provisional state that could later change.
Base stated that the change aims to make onchain transactions faster and more responsive for trading and payments while supporting tokenized stocks and other assets that require faster onchain settlement.
Previously, Base produced one canonical block every two seconds and used Flashblocks to stream previews of pending transactions between blocks. Those previews could be dropped from the final block, forcing applications to account for changes between preconfirmed and canonical states.
Denim removes that layer, with every 200ms block becoming part of the canonical chain. Standard RPC methods now expose the faster state, so developers no longer need separate Flashblocks subscriptions or reconciliation systems.
Denim also adds millisecond-level timing through BaseTime, enabling smart contracts to measure elapsed time more precisely for trading, auctions, order expirations and DeFi functions. The network’s faster block cadence gives lending protocols, decentralized exchanges and other applications more frequent opportunities to respond to market updates, including liquidations and rebalancing.
The upgrade includes three changes to B20 tokens, Base’s token standard. Issuers can now invert compliance policies through a NOT operator, reusing the same address list for allow and block rules, according to Base.
Transfer-executor policies now apply to all transfer methods, including direct transfers initiated by token holders, making it harder to bypass issuer-defined restrictions.
The upgrade also blocks transfers, mints and seizures that send tokens to the token contract’s own address, preventing accidental transfers that could lock funds, the project added.
