Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network built by Coinbase, just dropped a set of metrics that would make most crypto projects weep into their whitepapers. The network now holds over $4 billion in total value locked, $12 billion in onchain assets, and has processed 169 million agentic payments.
Agentic payments, transactions initiated by autonomous AI agents rather than humans clicking buttons, were barely a concept a year ago. Now they’re running at a pace that suggests Base has positioned itself as the default settlement layer for a nascent AI economy.
The numbers in context
At $4 billion, Base sits comfortably among the top Ethereum layer-2 networks. The $12 billion in total onchain assets is a broader measure that captures everything sitting on the network, including tokens and stablecoins that aren’t necessarily deployed in DeFi protocols.
The gap between TVL and total assets tells an interesting story. It means roughly $8 billion in value is parked on Base but not actively locked in protocols.
