Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network built by Coinbase, is preparing its next major protocol upgrade for September 2026. Called Cobalt, the upgrade will embed native account abstraction directly at the protocol level, bringing gas sponsorship, transaction batching, and session keys to the chain without relying on external tooling.
What Cobalt actually changes
The headline features are gas sponsorship and batch calls. Gas sponsorship means someone other than the user, like a dApp developer or a protocol, can pick up the tab for transaction fees. Transaction batching lets users bundle multiple operations into a single transaction, cutting costs and reducing the number of confirmations needed.
Session keys round out the trifecta. These allow users to grant temporary, limited permissions to applications without handing over full wallet control.
The ERC-4337 standard has offered account abstraction features for a while now, but it works as an overlay, a layer of middleware that sits on top of the existing protocol. Cobalt’s approach is fundamentally different because it integrates smart accounts as a core protocol feature. Applications that previously needed to integrate with bundler services and paymasters through ERC-4337 can now access these capabilities through the protocol itself.
