Base has launched the Azul update on the testnet - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, the future

# Base has launched the Azul upgrade on the testnet

Supported by Coinbase’s L2 solution Base, the Azul upgrade has been launched on the testnet. Developers called it the first independent upgrade before activation on the mainnet, scheduled for May 13.

Base Azul is live on testnet — our first independent network upgrade.

Azul makes Base more secure, performant, and easier to build on.

More on what’s inside: https://t.co/Ls6bGGCxVP

— Base (@base) April 21, 2026

What’s new

Azul is built around a system of multi-proofs, combining two types:

• trusted execution environment proofs (TEE);
• zero-knowledge proofs (ZK)

The Base team explained: each type can finalize a block independently, and together they reduce asset withdrawal time to one day. In case of conflict, ZK takes precedence over TEE.

The upgrade will also simplify the network’s software infrastructure — Base will switch to a unified client stack:

• base-reth-node will become the sole execution client;
• base-consensus — a new consensus solution based on Kona, which will improve blockchain performance and optimize operations.

Source: X Testing has already yielded some practical results. Over the past two months, the number of empty blocks has decreased by 99% — from 200 to two per day. The blockchain has withstood several peak loads of 5000 TPS.

Moving toward decentralization

According to developers, Azul will be a key step for Base toward the next stage of decentralization — Stage 2.

The upgrade will align the L2 solution with the latest specifications of the Osaka component, activated on the Ethereum execution layer as part of the Fusaka hard fork.

Most applications will not require changes — only some node operators and developers using specialized features. Users also do not need to take any action until Azul is implemented on the mainnet.

Before activation, Base is conducting an audit competition on the Immunefi platform — applications accepted until May 4. The prize pool for discovering critical vulnerabilities is $250 000.

Plans

In the coming months, Base plans to release several more updates.

By the end of June, a performance upgrade will be released: built-in token standards, Flashblock access lists, a unified binary client, and accelerated withdrawals.

In August, developers will implement a user experience update with native account abstraction.

In mid-May, Base will launch Vibenet — a public network for developers to experiment with future features before their mainnet release.

“Azul is the first network stack update that we fully control. This is the beginning of a steady rhythm of independent upgrades on the way to a global, free on-chain economy for the next billion users,” — the L2 solution team

Recall that in February, Base abandoned the Optimism stack in favor of its own unified architecture.