Key Takeaways:
Coinbase-backed Ethereum layer-2 network Base halted block production for more than two hours on Thursday after an invalid block disrupted sequencing, the team said.
"We continue to debug and have isolated a consensus problem that caused an invalid block to be sequenced," the network said on its status page. "This prevented new blocks from being created."
The issue arose around 16:03 UTC, with the network reporting mainnet block production as "unhealthy." By 16:52 UTC, the team had identified the problem and pursued multiple remediation efforts. Sequencing resumed roughly an hour later, with internal nodes syncing correctly as of 18:00 UTC. The outage came hours before Base's scheduled Beryl hardfork upgrade, which will implement a new token standard for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets while reducing withdrawal delays.
The disruption marks the first block production issue on Base's mainnet in 90 days, though the network reported around 30 hours of withdrawal delays in May and a separate 29-minute outage in August 2025. Base advised ecosystem node operators to restart their nodes to restore synchronization. The team said it will continue to investigate the root cause and monitor network stability.
The incident temporarily halted transaction processing on one of Ethereum's largest layer-2 networks, which has grown to become a major hub for DeFi activity on the L2 ecosystem. Base did not disclose whether the invalid block stemmed from a software bug or another consensus-related fault.
The Beryl hardfork remains on track despite the disruption, according to the network's status page. The upgrade introduces a new token standard aimed at stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, a sector that has expanded from roughly $5 billion at the start of 2025 to over $30 billion by mid-2026, according to data from rwa.xyz.
Blockchain outages, while uncommon, have affected other networks. Layer-1 network Sui suffered outages on three consecutive days earlier this year following gas and validator bugs. Solana, one of the largest smart contract platforms, has not reported a mainnet issue since February 2024.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
