Base App redesigns around trading-first approach
Base App is changing its direction. The consumer application, which launched back in July, is now being redesigned around what they’re calling a “trading-first” business model. This shift comes from early user feedback, I think. The announcement came from jesse.base.eth in an X post, where they explained the new focus.
Hundreds of thousands of people have used the app since July for various things—creating, trading, saving, spending, building. But now the team wants to make trading the main operation. The idea is to bring more demand and better distribution to assets throughout the onchain economy. They’re rebranding the app as a key hub for asset trading and use.
User feedback drives the change
Jesse.base.eth outlined three key themes from user feedback. Several respondents asked for higher quality assets, and interaction with those assets was mentioned as one of the main applications people wanted. The tl;dr version, as they put it, is that they’re focusing the Base app to be trading-first to drive demand and distribution for every asset.
They want it to be the best app for whatever you do in the onchain economy. That’s the ambition, at least. The update suggests the app will become more use-case-oriented and offer a broader selection of assets. In a world where more things become tokenized and tradable, they want to move demand and distribution everywhere.
Questions about mini apps
This change raised some questions about mini apps. Those had been sold as consumer experience tools and onboarding creators. Juampi.eth responded, questioning the relevance of mini apps with this new finance-first strategy. He said he considered this approach to align with previous feedback, though. He’s looking forward to seeing how the Base App evolves in what he calls a new tokenized era.
Jesse.base.eth replied that mini apps are still a priority. They’ll still be part of the vision, and the team is working on improving discoverability and refining tooling to measure their performance. The tooling includes leaderboards and impact measures, like how many people mini apps have onboarded. The transition to trading-first is meant to move more distribution, not less, which suggests mini apps might benefit too.
Future development plans
Brian Armstrong also commented on the Base App’s development. He confirmed the product is still in iteration mode following its launch. In the future, the app will target retail investors and traders, with the trader segment expected to grow. The feed will be extended to cover a larger range of assets and assist everyone building on the foundation.
Armstrong indicated the Base App will be multi-chain, with Base being its main focus. Users will be able to access anything they want onchain using the product. The goal is to create an environment that enables innovation and onchain building by concentrating on introducing more demand.
It’s interesting to see how consumer applications evolve in this space. The shift from a broader consumer focus to a trading-first model reflects what users are actually asking for, perhaps. But we’ll have to see how this plays out in practice. The balance between trading functionality and other consumer features will be something to watch.
