Coinbase's Base network experienced a temporary technical outage as it prepared for a major new development. On Thursday, a faulty block disrupted the operation of the mainnet and halted the production of new blocks for about two hours. The incident occurred at the same time as the deployment of Beryl, an update planned by the technical team. Coinbase quickly identified the root cause of the problem and gradually restored network sequencing.
In brief
- Coinbase's Base network suffered a technical outage of approximately 115 minutes after an invalid block disrupted the production of new blocks.
- The issue was caused by a consensus incident related to block #47,806,542, which temporarily blocked the network sequencer.
- The outage did not result in any loss of funds, as the blockage occurred before the blocks on Ethereum layer 1 were finalized.
- The Beryl update was maintained despite the incident, with Coinbase confirming that it was not responsible for the malfunction.
- Beryl introduces several technical improvements, including the B20 standard, faster withdrawals and developments related to Reth V2 for the Base network.
Coinbase faces technical blockage on the Base network
The crypto exchange Coinbase reported an anomaly in the production of blocks on its Base network on June 25, 2026 from 4:03 p.m. UTC. Engineers noticed unusual behavior on the mainnet before initiating technical analysis. After several checks, the team identified a consensus issue caused by an invalid block. THE block number 47 806 542 prevented the sequencer from continuing normally creating new blocks.
Incident timeline:
- 16:03 UTC: block production becomes abnormal and technical investigation begins;
- 16:52 UTC: Engineers identify block #47,806,542 as the source of the problem;
- 17:21 UTC: The consensus problem is isolated and the first signs of recovery appear;
- 17:51 UTC: Sequencing resumes and internal nodes begin synchronization;
- 17:58 UTC: Block construction is working properly and the network is going into monitoring.
In the OP Stack environment, Coinbase explains that this event corresponds to an “unsafe head stall”. This phenomenon indicates that the sequencer temporarily stops the progress of blocks not yet published on layer 1 of Ethereum. This situation therefore concerns a phase preceding the finalization of the blocks. Users did not experience any loss of funds during this outage.
The malfunction caused delays to several Base network operations. Deposits, withdrawals and some transactions encountered delays during the shutdown period. Coinbase later confirmed that internal nodes began to return to normal operation after the issue was identified.
Beryl: the update is maintained despite the incident
The Beryl Update was to be activated the same day at 18:00 UTC, a few minutes after sequencing had fully resumed. Coinbase clarified that the network shutdown had no direct link to this update. The two events simply happened in a close period, which attracted the attention of observers.
Beryl notably introduces B20, a token standard integrated directly into the node software. This development makes it possible to issue certain assets without using only smart contracts. It particularly targets projects related to stablecoins and real-world assets.
With Beryl, Coinbase also makes improvements to withdrawal times and adds developments from Reth V2. Node operators must use base/node v1.1.1 or later to ensure compatibility. The majority of existing users and contracts do not require any particular intervention.
This update represents an important technical milestone for the Base network. However, Coinbase has yet to finalize the full analysis of the incident in order to precisely understand the conditions that caused the invalid block. The team plans to publish a retrospective after its investigation is complete.
Coinbase continues network monitoring after takeover
After approximately 115 minutes of interruption, Coinbase has restored sequencing operation and maintains enhanced monitoring of the Base network. However, node operators must restart their infrastructures in order to fully complete the synchronization. This step ensures a complete return to normal.
The incident serves as a reminder that layer 2 networks can encounter technical difficulties related to their internal infrastructure. Coinbase states that this type of blockage may also appear on other similar networks or on the Optimism mainnet. These situations can arise from issues with nodes, load, or technical interactions with Ethereum.
The technical teams are therefore continuing their analysis work to identify the root cause of the defective block. Coinbase recommends users to follow the information available through network monitoring tools. Future developments will depend on the conclusions of this investigation.
The resumption of sequencing now allows the Base network to continue normal operations. Network stability and performance monitoring will remain the main points observed after this incident, as Beryl continues its deployment according to the planned schedule. This incident comes as Coinbase continues to expand its operations, with the ambition of making it a benchmark infrastructure for stablecoins, real-world assets and decentralized applications.
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