Base delayed its Beryl hard fork to 6pm UTC on June 26 after confirming that the internal switch controlling B20 token creation can take up to an hour to activate once the upgrade goes live. The network had originally targeted June 25 for the Beryl activation. The delay allows the B20 standard—which lets stablecoin and real-world-asset issuers mint compliant tokens directly on Base without writing custom smart contracts—to become fully operational before developers attempt token deployments. The postponement follows a separate two-hour mainnet stall on June 25 that halted block production due to a consensus fault.
Base instructed developers to confirm the B20 standard reads as live before submitting token deployments, since any attempt to deploy before the switch activates will fail. The feature arrives after the fork itself completes, creating a window during which the upgrade is active but token creation remains unavailable.
B20 Standard Introduces Asset and Stablecoin Variants for Institutional Issuers
B20 ships in two forms: an asset variant for general tokens and tokenized real-world assets, and a stablecoin variant for fiat-pegged coins. Base built both variants for the institutions it has recruited over the past year. The standard embeds controls such as minting limits, transfer restrictions, and freeze powers directly into the chain, which Base has pitched to regulated issuers deciding where to launch.
Base made a seven-figure investment in tokenization platform Centrifuge to bring tokenized funds and credit products onto the network. The B20 standard removes the need for issuers to write and audit their own smart contracts when minting compliant tokens on Base.
Stablecoin Supply Holds Near $4.01 Billion as TVL Declines $245 Million
The stablecoin variant of B20 carries significant weight because dollar-pegged tokens already drive much of Base's activity. Base's total value locked fell about $245 million over the prior 24 hours, according to DeFiLlama. Stablecoin supply on the network held near $4.01 billion after adding $19.6 million across the week.
Coinbase has integrated consumer rails into Base that let businesses settle USDC payments. Amazon Web Services joined Coinbase and Stripe to route USDC micropayments for AI agents across Base and Solana. Coinbase and Cardless rolled out a stablecoin-backed credit card that settles in USDC on Base. B20 lets the next set of issuers mint tokens without deploying their own contracts, a capability that goes live June 26.
Base Mainnet Stalled for Two Hours on June 25 Due to Consensus Fault
Block production turned unhealthy at 16:03 UTC on June 25, when a consensus fault produced an invalid block and stopped the chain from advancing past block 47,806,542. The halt interrupted deposits, withdrawals, and swaps until the sequencer resumed at 17:51 UTC. Base verified full recovery by 19:22 UTC. Base said the halt stayed separate from Beryl and that user funds remained secure throughout.
FAQ
What caused Base to delay the Beryl hard fork to June 26?
Base delayed Beryl to 6pm UTC on June 26 after confirming that the internal switch controlling B20 token creation can take up to an hour to activate once the hard fork goes live. The network had originally targeted June 25 for activation.
What is the B20 standard introduced in the Beryl upgrade?
B20 is a token standard that ships in two variants: an asset variant for general tokens and tokenized real-world assets, and a stablecoin variant for fiat-pegged coins. The standard embeds minting limits, transfer restrictions, and freeze powers directly into the Base chain, allowing issuers to mint compliant tokens without writing custom smart contracts.
What happened during the Base mainnet stall on June 25?
Block production turned unhealthy at 16:03 UTC on June 25 when a consensus fault produced an invalid block and stopped the chain at block 47,806,542. The sequencer resumed at 17:51 UTC and Base verified full recovery by 19:22 UTC. Base confirmed the halt stayed separate from Beryl and user funds remained secure.
