Base has deployed the Beryl upgrade on the Sepolia testnet, with the mainnet launch scheduled for June 25th. Key updates include the introduction of the native token standard B20 and a reduction in the usual waiting time for withdrawals from Base to Ethereum.
B20 can issue assets directly at the protocol layer.
Base states that B20 is a protocol-level native token standard, allowing issuers to create stablecoins and other assets directly within the Base node software, no longer relying entirely on traditional smart contract methods.
According to the official documentation, B20 is fully compatible with the ERC-20 specification and supports the ERC-2612 permit function. Users can authorize spending through signatures without needing to initiate separate approval transactions. Base states that existing wallets, exchanges, and indexing tools that support ERC-20 typically require no modification when integrating B20 assets.
Unlike common ERC-20 tokens, B20 runs in a pre-compiled contract within the Base node software. Base states that this part of the token logic is written in Rust and executes directly at the protocol layer, rather than running through EVM bytecode.
Provide more control to stablecoin issuers
This release also includes a publisher toolkit that supports role-based access control, as well as features such as issuance, destruction, optional supply limits, transfer restrictions, freezing, and seizure. Base states that these features are primarily designed for regulated publishers.
Issuers can choose between two models: a general-purpose asset model and a dedicated model for stablecoins. The latter uses 6 decimal places of precision and allows for custom currency codes.
Base also stated that B20 is built on code audited by both Base itself and security firm Spearbit. Future updates also plan to support issuers using their own B20 tokens to pay transaction fees, instead of solely using ETH.
Withdrawal waiting time reduced from 7 days to 5 days
Beryl also follows the Azul upgrade that Base launched on the mainnet in May. Azul introduces the Multiproofs mechanism, which combines trusted execution environment proofs with zero-knowledge proofs to verify withdrawals and improve security.
Base states that Multiproofs can provide a fast withdrawal process in about one day when the two proofs are consistent. However, due to the high cost of generating zero-knowledge proofs, the adoption of this approach remains limited.
Therefore, Beryl primarily optimizes the conventional withdrawal paths still used by most cross-chain service providers. Base stated that the previous 7-day waiting period stemmed from an earlier fault-proof framework designed to allow time for challenges related to disputed withdrawals. With Multiproofs narrowing the scope of this delay, the waiting period has been reduced to 5 days.
Base also mentioned that Beryl entered the Sepolia testnet approximately four weeks after launching on the Azul mainnet. The company attributes this faster upgrade pace to its decision in February of this year to break free from its shared Optimism OP Stack dependency and switch to its own unified technology stack.
Cobalt is scheduled to launch in September.
The next planned upgrade, named Cobalt, is targeted for September. Base is expected to introduce native account abstraction, protocol-layer smart accounts, gas sponsorship, transaction batching, more B20 features, and a unified node binary that integrates consensus and execution clients.
