Base has launched its Azul upgrade on testnet ahead of a planned May 13 mainnet activation. The release introduces multiproofs, a new client stack, and Base’s first independent upgrade. The move also pushes the Coinbase-incubated Ethereum Layer 2 closer to Stage 2 decentralization.
At the core of Azul is a multiproof system that combines trusted execution environment proofs with zero-knowledge proofs. Base said either proof type can finalize a proposal on its own.
When both proof systems agree, Base said withdrawal finality can fall to as little as one day. At the same time, permissionless ZK proofs can override permissioned TEE proofs if the two conflict. That design gives Base a new security and finality model as it prepares for mainnet. In turn, the network frames Azul as a major infrastructure step rather than a routine update.
Base tied the upgrade to its broader decentralization path. The network said Azul marks its first independent upgrade on a stack it controls end-to-end.
Azul also changes the software running beneath the chain. Base said base-reth-node becomes its sole execution client, while base-consensus becomes its new consensus client. The new consensus client is based on Kona. Base said it already delivers much faster historical sync, and the team plans further work on the path to 1 gigabit per second.
As part of the change, Azul drops support for all other execution and consensus clients. The network said users can get the latest releases from base/base. Base also plans to simplify node software further in the coming months. Next, it wants to combine base-reth-node and base-consensus into a single binary called base.
Meanwhile, Base said the work has already improved reliability. Over the past two months, empty blocks fell by about 99%, from roughly 200 a day to around two. The network also said it sustained multiple bursts of 5,000 transactions per second. Those figures arrive as Base tries to strengthen operations while scaling usage.
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Azul aligns Base with Ethereum’s latest Osaka execution-layer specifications. Base said the change aims to improve the developer experience without forcing major app rewrites. Most applications will not need changes, according to the team. Still, some node operators and developers using specialized features may need to prepare before activation.
Before mainnet, Base is running an audit competition on Immunefi through May 4. The program offers a maximum $250,000 reward pool for critical bugs. The timing matters because Base already ranks near the top among Layer 2 networks by several measures. Data from The Block and DefiLlama place its stablecoin market cap near $4.98 billion.
Those same datasets show roughly $4.4 billion in DeFi total value locked. Base also stands as a major USDC liquidity hub and the leading optimistic roll-up for active addresses. Looking ahead, Base expects another performance-focused upgrade by the end of June. That release is set to include an enshrined token standard, Flashblock Access Lists, Glamsterdam EIPs, a single client binary, and reduced withdrawal times.
Then, the network expects a user-experience-focused release around the end of August. Base said that the upgrade will ship with native account abstraction, while Base VibeNet will launch in mid-May as a public devnet for early feature testing.
Base’s Azul testnet upgrade introduces multiproofs, shifts the network to a new client stack, and supports a May 13 mainnet target. The release also follows sharp reliability gains and a broader push toward decentralization, smoother developer tools, and faster network performance.