Base is preparing a major Beryl update: B20 standard and accelerated withdrawals to Ethereum
The team behind the L2 network Base has officially announced the activation of the Beryl upgrade on the mainnet, scheduled for June 25. The testnet is already live and functioning normally, allowing developers to test key innovations in advance.
The core element of the upgrade is the implementation of the B20 standard. Unlike traditional smart contracts, B20 logic is embedded directly into the network node software code. This fundamentally changes the token creation paradigm: tokens become significantly faster and cheaper to process, as they do not require additional computational resources to execute contract code.
It is important to note that B20 is fully compatible with the ERC-20 format. This means that new assets created under this standard will be seamlessly supported by all existing wallets and cryptocurrency exchanges. At launch, developers are offered two ready-made templates: one for stablecoins and one for standard assets. In the future, the standard will allow fees to be paid directly in the tokens themselves, completely eliminating the need to use ETH as gas, and will also double the network's throughput capacity.
The upgrade will also significantly improve the user experience when withdrawing assets from Base to Ethereum. The waiting time will be reduced from seven to five days. This became possible thanks to the implementation of the Multiproofs proof system, which optimizes the transaction verification process between the two networks.
The technical part of the upgrade includes a transition to Reth V2 — a new client version that significantly reduces the load on node disk space and speeds up block processing. This is critically important for scaling the network as the number of users grows.
The next major upgrade, Cobalt, is scheduled for September. It is expected to introduce native account abstraction, which will simplify user interaction with decentralized applications. As a reminder, in May, Base already announced the integration of ZK-proofs from Succinct Labs to enhance security and accelerate transaction finalization.
My expert opinion: The Beryl upgrade is not just another technical update, but a strategic step towards transforming Base into a full-fledged, self-sufficient ecosystem. The B20 standard could become a catalyst for creating a new generation of tokens with improved performance, which is especially relevant amid growing competition among L2 solutions. Accelerating withdrawals to Ethereum, even if only by two days, is an important signal for institutional investors who value liquidity and settlement speed.