Ethereum and Coinbase-backed Base are taking separate paths on wallet infrastructure after failing to agree on a common standard. Ethereum is advancing EIP-8141, or Frame Transactions, while Base is developing its alternative, EIP-8130.
The two ecosystems had spent months working toward a unified framework for next-generation crypto wallets. The proposed standard was intended to make blockchain accounts work more like modern applications, but developers ultimately determined that the changes required to reach a compromise would conflict with important priorities on both networks.
The planned wallet features included passkey authentication, multiple recovery options, application-sponsored transaction fees and the ability to combine several blockchain operations into a single transaction. The design could also allow users to interact with a network without maintaining ETH specifically for gas payments.
Different Priorities Drive the Split
The disagreement was largely rooted in how Ethereum and Base want their transaction systems to evolve. Despite months of work to combine the two approaches, developers were unable to produce a design that met the requirements of both networks.
Derek Chiang, an Ethlabs developer involved in the effort, said the teams recognized the benefits of interoperability but ultimately placed their respective network objectives ahead of maintaining a shared standard.
Chiang said the cooperation ended last week.
Ethereum’s EIP-8141 and Base’s EIP-8130 both propose changes to the way transactions are authorized and processed. The designs address questions such as who can approve a transaction, who is responsible for paying its fees and what can happen after authorization.
Ethereum’s proposal places particular emphasis on privacy, censorship resistance and security as accounts become more programmable. It also includes a path for wallets to transition away from the cryptographic technology currently used by Ethereum if future quantum computers make those systems unsafe.
Base is seeking a more flexible transaction model that can be optimized for high-volume applications and different types of use cases, including products that operate under compliance requirements.
According to Chiang, attempts to combine the designs eventually reached a point where achieving a single standard would have required one network to give up capabilities it considered essential.
EIP-8141 Moves Toward Hegotá
Ethereum is now pursuing EIP-8141 as part of Hegotá, the network upgrade planned after Glamsterdam. The Ethereum Foundation recently listed the proposal among the execution-layer features it wants included in Hegotá.
That priority does not guarantee implementation. Frame Transactions remain under development and are not currently active on Ethereum’s mainnet.
Base, meanwhile, is continuing development of EIP-8130. The proposal can already be tested on its Vibenet development network and is being prepared for the Cobalt upgrade, with testnet and mainnet deployments currently scheduled for September.
Ethereum-based networks were initially expected to maintain a common wallet transaction framework despite developing different features elsewhere. The breakdown in negotiations means that assumption is changing.
Developers building wallets or applications intended to work across Ethereum and Base may now need to support two distinct transaction construction and authorization systems, potentially adding complexity to cross-network compatibility.
