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Base ignited a new debate on December 4, 2025, after announcing a Chainlink CCIP-secured bridge that connects its ecosystem with Solana. The launch came as Base’s November TVL reached $10 billion while Solana held $5.2 billion, according to DefiLlama. The rollout sparked pushback from Solana figures who questioned Base’s strategy and its claims of rising network dominance.
Base reported that the bridge enables direct movement of SOL and SPL tokens between the networks. It also supports assets like CHILLHOUSE and now routes cross-chain activity through apps such as Aerodrome and Zora. The feature sits live on mainnet and aims to connect liquidity across both ecosystems.
The announcement quickly triggered criticism. Vibhu argued that the Coinbase-backed team launched the bridge without involving any Solana partners. He stated that Base “didn’t set up a single Solana partner for launch” and dropped the bridge without coordination. His comments intensified concerns that Base sought a strategic advantage.
Jesse Pollak responded on X the same day. He said the bridge gives “Solana assets access to the Base economy and Base assets to Solana.” His comment attempted to calm tensions as questions surfaced about Base’s broader intentions.
The dispute revived earlier rivalries. On September 16, Aerodrome shared a clip of Alexander declaring Base intended to “flip Solana.” Mert, the Helius CEO, replied on December 4 with sharp criticism directed at Alexander, escalating the conflict further.
Base processed 1.5 billion monthly transactions with 70% tied to trading activity, according to statements shared across the community. These figures strengthened claims that Base now holds a meaningful market share. Alexander added that Base activity reached one-third of Solana’s volumes and that most activity came from SOL trading on Base itself.
DefiLlama data showed Base’s TVL rising 20% in November, reaching $10 billion. Solana closed the same period at $5.2 billion. This gap widened the debate on whether Base’s growth signaled a structural shift in user behaviour across networks.
Furthermore, Aerodrome’s Solana trading figures hinted at potential weekly cross-chain flows near $450 million. That number added momentum to Base’s interoperability effort as new token movement routes gained traction.
Meanwhile, Solana continued to promote its 65,000 TPS throughput advantage. The difference in speed kept the competition sharp as each network positioned itself for long-term adoption.
The exchange of public statements raised concerns about long-term cooperation. Leonidas stated on X that Base “did the same thing to Ethereum,” warning that mindshare may shift faster than liquidity. His comment fueled renewed scrutiny of Base’s expansion approach.
The debate quickly moved from technical claims to strategic differences. Solana developers argued that coordination matters for healthy integration. They said Base’s launch lacked collaboration with Solana Foundation teams involved in marketing and operations.
Base supporters pointed to Coinbase’s institutional strength, user funnel, and regulatory positioning. They said these factors enabled broader onboarding and improved access for assets moving between chains. Alexander also suggested that a future Base token could bring billions into the network.
This raised one central question: Can Base use interoperability and scale to challenge Solana’s established ecosystem advantage?
The rivalry continued through public exchanges. Hoyt Fowler previously questioned Aerodrome’s aggressive tone in September. He asked why Base repeatedly attacked Solana in public posts. His comments reflected growing pressure across communities.
Pollak’s December 4 message sought to redirect attention to interoperability. Yet Vibhu countered that Base bypassed critical Solana stakeholders during launch preparation. Their exchange illustrated the core disagreement about coordination.
Finally, developers noted that both ecosystems hold different design goals. Base aims to expand access through Ethereum-aligned L2 architecture, while Solana focuses on a high-performance Layer-1 environment with a Rust-driven development stack.
Also Read: Coinbase Pushes Into Solana With New Vector Acquisition
Base’s Chainlink CCIP bridge launch reignited a strong rivalry with Solana as rising Base TVL, expanding transactions, and new cross-chain activity shifted attention toward its rapid growth. The dispute showed how competition for users and liquidity shapes both ecosystems, urging projects to watch how this network race evolves.
