Coinbase Base App Rebrand Spurs ZORA Token Surge

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A rebrand by global crypto giant Coinbase has triggered a major surge in a little-known cryptocurrency, with the ZORA token soaring by over 440% amid growing interest in social-focused blockchain applications.

Coinbase recently transformed its standard wallet into what it now calls the Base App, a multi-purpose Web3 platform that combines payments, social media, messaging, and mini-app integration. The updated platform has been designed for faster performance, easier creator monetisation, and streamlined blockchain access. It is built on Coinbase’s own Layer 2 blockchain network, Base.

One of the key outcomes of the launch has been a dramatic spike in the activity of Zora, a decentralised protocol used for creating and trading social tokens tied to user content. Within days of the Base App announcement in mid-July, the ZORA token price skyrocketed from around US$0.011 to US$0.0615, marking more than a 440% increase in value.

According to on-chain data, daily Zora token creations surged from approximately 4,000 to more than 15,000, with a peak of 38,000 on July 24. Trading activity followed suit, with daily trades climbing to over 150,000 and trading volume surpassing US$6 million, up from about US$1 million before the update.

The app’s integration with protocols like Zora and Farcaster enables users to mint and trade tokens based on social posts, accelerating the rise of SocialFi (social finance) applications. In addition, creator payouts on the Zora network jumped from under US$1,000 per day to over US$30,000, as more than 12,000 creators became active on the platform.

The Base App also introduces real-time messaging via the XMTP protocol, fast one-tap payments through Base Pay, and a suite of decentralised mini-apps. Notably, block confirmation speeds have improved significantly, dropping from 2 seconds to just 200 milliseconds.

While based in the United States, Coinbase’s innovations are closely watched by global markets. In Australia, where interest in crypto regulation and blockchain infrastructure is rising, developments like the Base App rebrand may shape how local users and developers engage with decentralised platforms.

The Zora surge highlights the growing convergence between social content and blockchain technology. As more platforms experiment with tokenized engagement and creator-driven monetization, the Base App rollout could serve as a blueprint for broader Web3 adoption.