Base Blockchain Surges to Near-Solana Level TPS After Virtuals AI Token Launch, Boosting Network Competitiveness
Coinbase’s layer-2 Base blockchain achieved a major milestone after a token launch on Virtuals AI, briefly reaching a transaction throughput of 959 TPS on May 29, 2025. This puts Base close to Solana’s average 1,039 TPS, narrowing the performance gap between a rising Ethereum layer-2 solution and one of the fastest chains in the industry. The activity spike was driven by intense trading demand associated with the token launch, generating over $60,000 in fees for Base in a short window, compared to $4,000 on Solana. Despite the brief surge, Base’s real-time average TPS remains around 156, with a theoretical maximum of 1,429 TPS. Average transaction fees on Base stood at $0.04, positioning it as a lower-cost alternative to mainnet Ethereum.
Base’s total value locked (TVL) reached $3.75 billion, closing in on record highs, signaling increased DeFi activity and adoption. Solana retains a higher TVL at $9 billion, though it’s down 18% from its peak earlier in the year. These developments underscore Base’s emergence as a major DeFi competitor within the Ethereum ecosystem, particularly attractive due to low fees and increasingly robust performance during periods of high demand, as demonstrated by the Virtuals AI launch. This progress among layer-2 solutions enhances scalability and could influence both user migration and future DeFi protocols, potentially reshaping market competitiveness across leading blockchain networks.
Bullish
The spike in Base blockchain’s transaction throughput following the Virtuals AI token launch demonstrates growing scalability and user adoption, both of which are highly positive indicators for market sentiment. Generating significantly higher fee revenue and achieving transaction speeds near Solana’s during peak trading suggest traders and dApps are increasingly viewing Base as a viable, faster, and cheaper alternative to mainnet Ethereum. The surge in total value locked (TVL) reinforces confidence in Base’s DeFi potential, while the low transaction fees add to its competitiveness. Historically, such network growth and increased activity in Layer-2 solutions have contributed to price appreciation and heightened interest from both investors and builders, especially during periods of reduced fees and improved throughput. Therefore, this news is likely to have a bullish impact on Base-related assets and possibly influence positive sentiment for Ethereum ecosystem scaling solutions more broadly.