How Base processes transactions and settles on Ethereum
Base processes transactions off-chain through a sequencer, then posts the data to Ethereum for settlement. Your wallet signs and sends each transaction.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 6, 20263 min readFact-checked
On this page
- Base executes transactions off-chain, then posts data to Ethereum.
- You need a wallet on Base and ETH there for gas.
- The sequencer orders and executes transactions before batching.
- Save the transaction hash and check it in an explorer.
You will follow one transaction from your wallet to Ethereum and see what to check at each stage.
What you need before you start
Base is an Ethereum layer 2 network, so it uses Ethereum style addresses and settles to Ethereum. You work with the same kind of wallet you would use on Ethereum, switched to Base.
How Base processes a transaction
Your transaction does not run on Ethereum itself. Base's sequencer executes it off-chain, and the network posts the data to Ethereum for settlement.
- 1Sign and sendYour wallet signs the transaction with your private key and sends it to a Base RPC endpoint, which relays it to the network.
- 2Let the sequencer run itThe sequencer puts transactions in order and executes them off-chain, which produces the soft confirmation your wallet shows.
- 3Watch the batch settleThe sequencer groups transactions into a batch and posts the data to Ethereum, using blobs since Ethereum's Dencun upgrade in March 2024.
What to do after sending
Your wallet returns a transaction hash when you send. That hash is how you find the transaction later, so copy it before you close the window.
Frequently asked questions
The first confirmation usually appears within seconds. Final settlement follows Ethereum's rules, where finality can take minutes or longer.
Once the sequencer has executed it, your wallet cannot cancel it. A transaction that reaches finality stands, and getting the funds back would need the recipient to send them.
The sequencer orders and executes transactions before batching them to Ethereum. Coinbase, which developed Base, runs it.
No. The data is public on Base and on Ethereum, so addresses and amounts are visible. Your name is not attached, but activity can be traced.
