Base App shifts to trading-first model to power the onchain economy

Base App is redesigning its consumer application around a trading-first business model, based on early user reaction.

In an announcement by jesse.base.eth in an X post, the group indicated that the Base App is now going to make trading its main operation to bring demand and distribution to assets throughout the on-chain economy. The app, introduced in July, through which hundreds of thousands of individuals have created, traded, saved, spent, and built, is being rebranded as a key asset-trading and use hub.

User feedback drives trading-first focus

On his thread, jesse.base.eth explained the new direction as making the Base App trading-first, to have the ability to push demand and distribution of all assets, and to be the best app at whatever you do in the onchain economy. He has identified three key themes in user feedback. Several respondents have requested high-quality assets, and interaction with such assets is cited as one of the applications. 

Tl;dr: We’re focusing the Base app to be trading-first to drive demand and distribution for every asset and to be the best app for whatever you do in the onchain economy.

Since announcing the Base app in July, hundreds of thousands of you have used the app to create, trade,…

— jesse.base.eth (@jessepollak) January 14, 2026

The update showed that the Base App will be use-case-oriented and provide a broader selection of assets. It declared that on a tokenized and tradable world, the ambition is to move demand and distribution everywhere, and that the app would be the ideal location for trading and using all assets.

The change raised questions on the suitability of mini apps, which had been sold as consumer experience tools and onboarding creators, to the new focus. Juampi.eth, in a response, questioned the relevance of mini apps and stated that he considered the finance-first strategy to align with previous feedback. He stated that he was looking forward to seeing how the Base App evolves in what he referred to as a new tokenized era.

In reply to that, jesse.base.eth said that mini apps are still a priority. He said that miniapps will still be part of this vision, and the team is working on improving discoverability and refining tooling to measure their performance. The tooling has leaderboards and impact measures, including the number of people mini apps have onboarded. He further stated that the aim of transitioning to the trading-first model is to move more distribution, rather than less, which suggests that mini apps will also benefit from the distribution focus.

Armstrong outlines retail and multichain priorities

Brian Armstrong also shared some words on the development of the Base App. He confirmed that the product is still in iteration mode following its launch. In the future, Armstrong indicated that the app would target retail investors and traders, with the latter segment expected to grow. He further explained that the feed will be extended to cover a larger range of assets and assist all those building on the foundation.

Armstrong also indicated that the Base App will be multi-chain, with Base being its main focus, allowing users to access anything they desire onchain using the product. He stated that the goal is to establish an environment that enables innovation and onchain to build as a result of concentrating on introducing more demand.

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