Voices of contradiction over Coinbase's meme strategy in the Base ecosystem, developers fiercely oppose

Criticism of Coinbase and its subsidiary Base development team has once again intensified, with the cryptocurrency community increasingly pointing out “inconsistencies in words and actions.” The core issue revolves around concerns that, despite promoting an open stance, there is a disconnect between their stated position and actual ecosystem support measures.

Contradictions in Meme Coin Listing Strategies Come to Light

This debate gained attention when trader rbthreek on X pointed out specific figures. According to his claim, Coinbase will list more than 11 Solana-based meme coins by 2025, whereas only three meme coins from the same Base ecosystem have been listed.

Additionally, it is problematic that CEO Brian Armstrong previously questioned the substance of meme coins but then proceeded to handle a series of Solana-based meme coins that experienced sharp declines. This double standard has led supporters of Base to question, “Which is the real policy?”

Lack of Transparency in Project Support Also Exposed

Another trader, Turtle, pointed out the contradiction that projects supported by Coinbase Ventures, such as Arcadia and Giza, have not received prominent support from the exchange, while initiatives like Zora are actively promoted.

Furthermore, within the meme trend, a creator token related to YouTuber Nick Shirley on Base plummeted from a $90 million valuation to a 67% drop within just a few hours, shaking confidence in the ecosystem.

This series of events suggests a widening gap between the expectations of participants who wish for Base’s success and Coinbase’s actual feasibility.

Gradual Decline in Community Trust

According to user Amy, the “trust reversal process” indicates that disillusionment with Base is not due to a single factor but results from multiple concerns piling up. These include stagnation in exchange listings, intensified competition with Solana, operational chaos around creator tokens, delays in decentralized exchange integrations, and unmet expectations for rewards and inclusion mechanisms in the Base app—all occurring simultaneously.

As a result, the perception that “Coinbase favors partner projects” has spread, leading some developers and users to leave the chain.

Leadership’s Response and Future Direction

In response, Armstrong emphasized that Coinbase provides access to hundreds of thousands of tokens through decentralized exchange integration. He reaffirmed that Coinbase is committed to serving as a marketplace rather than conducting centralized listing reviews.

Meanwhile, there are voices defending the Base leadership led by Jesse Pollak. User Zk pointed out that while the team is actually supportive, tension arises from a community segment that only focuses on short-term price movements and has mismatched expectations.

The roadmap Armstrong presented for 2026 prioritizes expanding to “all exchanges” and increasing on-chain users via Base, indicating that this fundamental approach will continue.

However, the rapid spread of creator tokens and meme trends continues to pose challenges, and ongoing vigilance is necessary to assess their impact on the overall trust structure of the Base ecosystem.