The Base App has removed its Farcaster-powered social feed as it sharpens its focus on onchain trading. The move signals a clearer product direction for the wallet, which previously operated as Coinbase Wallet.
Significantly, the update narrows the app’s scope to assets and activity users can trade directly. Hence, Base positions itself as a trading-first gateway rather than a mixed social product.
Trading-First Strategy Takes Priority
The app’s in-feed experience now highlights tradable tokens, swaps, and onchain activity. Consequently, the Talk feed that surfaced posts from Farcaster no longer appears inside the wallet.
Additionally, Coinbase will wind down the Base Creator Rewards program, with final payments scheduled later this month. The program distributed more than $450,000 to about 17,000 creators over six months.
Moreover, the shift reflects a decision to simplify the user journey. The team aims to ensure users immediately understand the app’s purpose on launch.
Besides improving clarity, the change allows faster iteration on trading tools. The update also aligns with Base’s broader effort to deepen liquidity and execution within its ecosystem.
Product Focus and Ecosystem Context
Base contributor Jesse Pollak emphasized that the decision centers on focus, not retreat. However, earlier experiments showed the wallet never intended to serve as a full social client.
Consequently, the team chose to reduce scope and improve execution. Additionally, the rebrand helped reposition the app as a gateway to onchain assets, swaps, and decentralized applications.
The app supports activity across the Base ecosystem, which builds on Ethereum infrastructure through its Layer 2 network. Hence, the feed now surfaces only activity users can act on immediately. This approach reduces friction and reinforces a consistent trading experience.
Farcaster’s Strategic Reset
Farcaster continues its own transition. In December, the protocol prioritized wallet services over a standalone social app. Consequently, it cited stronger growth potential in infrastructure. That pivot followed the acquisition of Farcaster by Neynar, a developer tooling provider backed by Haun. Moreover, Farcaster planned to return roughly $180 million to venture backers while keeping the protocol active.
Recently, Farcaster co-founders Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan joined the stablecoin startup Tempo. Significantly, their move underscored the protocol’s shift toward an ecosystem-led future. Consequently, both Base and Farcaster now pursue clearer, more focused paths as onchain products mature.
Source: https://coinpaper.com/14461/coinbase-s-base-app-cuts-social-features-to-sharpen-trading-focus
