Base Prepares to Launch 1:1-Backed Tokenized US Equities

What happened: Jesse Pollak, creator of Coinbase’s Base layer-2, announced that the launch of 1:1-backed tokenized US equities is “imminent,” with final regulatory and technical details being finalized. The offering will feature regulated custody, on-chain transfer and redemption, and automatic dividend pass-through, distinguishing it from synthetic models like Robinhood Chain. No launch date, eligible stock list, or custodian has been publicly disclosed.

Why it matters: The move positions Base to compete directly with Robinhood Chain and other tokenized asset platforms, as the tokenized stock market has grown to ~$2.2B in TVL. However, the regulatory status of such offerings—especially for US-listed equities—remains unresolved, and Base has not clarified jurisdictional or eligibility details for US persons. The pivot also reflects Base’s broader strategic shift away from social apps toward trading, payments, AI agents, and real-world assets.

Source: Cointelegraph, Crypto Briefing, Jesse Pollak (X)