Base Layer 2 network to launch Beryl upgrade and B20 token standard June 25

The Ethereum Layer 2 network Base, incubated by Coinbase, is preparing to launch its second major upgrade, Beryl, on its mainnet on June 25. This upgrade introduces B20, a new native token standard designed for issuing stablecoins and other assets directly within Base's node software. Unlike traditional ERC-20 tokens that run as smart contracts, B20 tokens are precompiled contracts written in Rust and executed within the node software itself. The B20 standard includes an Issuer Toolkit with features like role-based access control, minting and burning capabilities, and transfer policies, with variants for general assets and stablecoins.

In addition to the new token standard, the Beryl upgrade will significantly reduce the standard withdrawal delay for assets moving from Base to the Ethereum mainnet, cutting it from seven days to five. This change builds upon the Multiproofs system introduced in Base's first upgrade, Azul, aiming to speed up the more commonly used single-proof withdrawal path. The upgrade also incorporates Reth V2, the latest version of Base's execution client, which is designed to reduce disk usage and increase available blockspace for developers.

Base is adopting a faster upgrade cadence, with Beryl arriving approximately four weeks after the mainnet activation of Azul. This acceleration is attributed to Base's shift towards its own unified technology stack, moving away from shared dependencies on Optimism's OP Stack. The network's next upgrade, Cobalt, is slated for September and is expected to introduce native account abstraction, making smart accounts a protocol-level feature.