Builders Criticize Base’s Zora-Driven Push for Creator Coins

Developers and token projects on the Base layer 2 network are pushing back against the chain’s promotion of creator coins, saying its close alignment with NFT marketplace Zora sidelines other Base-native projects. Base, built by Coinbase atop Ethereum using the OP Stack, has become a hub for creator coins — tokens tied to individual creators or content — with Zora positioned at the center of that narrative.

Supporters say creator coins create new onchain revenue for creators and broaden crypto’s cultural reach. Onchain data shows strong activity: daily token mints on Base reportedly overtook Solana in August. But sentiment on X has soured. Builders complain Base’s marketing and social support are selective, favoring Zora-linked initiatives while ignoring projects that helped bootstrap the chain.

One developer, Jacek, wrote on X: "I’m genuinely disappointed by @base's forced push around creator coins. We still can’t even get the official Base X account to follow us, let alone acknowledge launches with a retweet or mention. It’s also not just us. Plenty of other projects feel the same way: that if you’re not part of the favored narrative, you effectively don’t exist.

At that point, what is the incentive to build on Base?" Jacek added that when his degen token ecosystem bridged to Solana, they received immediate support from the official Solana X account and Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius.

Key Topics

Crypto, Base, Zora, Creator Coins, Layer 2, Community