Ethereum and Base Diverge on Wallet Standards After Failed Collaboration, Ethlabs Researcher Explains
Ethereum and Base are set to implement distinct account abstraction standards following last week's breakdown in efforts to agree on a shared standard. Derek Chiang, founding member and researcher at Ethlabs and co-author of Ethereum's EIP-8141 proposal, stated that both blockchains prioritized their core objectives over interoperability, consequently placing the burden on wallet developers to support separate transaction formats for seamless user experience across networks.
Reasons for the Breakdown and Impact on Wallet Developers
Ethereum and Base failed to agree on a unified account abstraction standard because interoperability became secondary to each chain’s core objectives. This will compel wallet developers to support separate transaction formats to maintain a consistent user experience across different networks, said Derek Chiang, Ethlabs researcher and one of the co-authors of EIP-8141.
Account abstraction enables programmable rules for transaction authorization and fee payment, a key feature of modern blockchains. The lack of a unified standard complicates development and might slow down cross-system integration.
Differences in Ethereum’s and Base’s Approaches
Ethereum is advancing Frame Transactions as defined in EIP-8141, a centerpiece of its upcoming Hegotá upgrade. This will introduce native account abstraction and establish a path toward post-quantum authentication.
Meanwhile, Base is developing native account abstraction via Keystore based on EIP-8130, which is already live on its devnet.
This divergence reflects differing priorities: Layer 1 blockchains like Ethereum emphasize censorship resistance, security, privacy, and openness, favoring distinct account standards, while scalability-focused Layer 2 networks like Base are more aligned with standards such as EIP-8130.
Outlook and Future Developments
Chiang argued that this separation could have positive outcomes by allowing each network to innovate on account abstraction according to its own vision to the fullest extent.
Ethereum aims to implement Hegotá in late 2026 following Glamsterdam, a major upgrade designed to enhance scalability, harden the Layer 1, and improve usability.
Glamsterdam is expected to launch on mainnet in the second half of 2026 and is considered one of the most consequential upgrades planned for the year, broadening Ethereum’s functionality and security.
Why it matters
This news is significant for the crypto community as it highlights the growing divergence within the Ethereum ecosystem and its associated Layer 2 project Base regarding critical technical standards. The failure to agree on a unified account abstraction standard will complicate wallet developers’ work, forcing them to support different transaction formats. At the same time, it reflects deeper strategic differences: Ethereum as a Layer 1 prioritizes security, openness, and censorship resistance, while the Layer 2 Base focuses on scalability and user experience. Upcoming major upgrades like Glamsterdam and Hegotá will demonstrate how these divergent approaches impact the ecosystem’s evolution.
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