Base Faces Accusations of NFT Copying After Celebrating 1 Billion Transactions Milestone

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A Proud Milestone After Over a Year of Operation

On November 15, Base officially surpassed 1 billion transactions since its launch in August 2023. This is a remarkable achievement, especially when compared to Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, which took 15 years to reach the same milestone.

As expected, Base has quickly risen to become a leading Layer-2 solution on Ethereum, leaving competitors like Optimism and Arbitrum far behind. According to the latest report from CoinGecko, Base currently ranks second on the list of the most popular blockchains in 2024, with interest levels nine times higher than Arbitrum, its closest competitor in the Layer-2 segment.

The Base ecosystem has witnessed explosive growth, with interest surging fivefold compared to Q1. This growth catapulted the platform from 7th place to 2nd, surpassing even Ethereum Layer-1
CoinGecko stated.

This success is largely attributed to the backing of Coinbase, the leading cryptocurrency exchange with a market value of $76 billion and a strong brand presence in the U.S.

NFT Copyright Dispute and Professional Handling

Base's Commemorative NFT — Base’s Commemorative NFT

To commemorate the 1 billion transaction milestone, Base released a celebratory NFT. However, this event quickly sparked controversy when the artwork was found to bear significant similarities to a piece by digital artist Chris Biron. According to Biron, Base had earned over $36,000 from the sale of this NFT before the issue was brought to light.

I am usually open to others drawing inspiration from my work. But when a $76 billion company copies and profits without crediting the creator, it’s simply unacceptable
Biron expressed.

Jesse Pollak, the head of development at Base, promptly issued an apology and clarified that it was an unintended oversight.

In art, creative ideas can sometimes stem from common inspirations. We inadvertently replicated the artwork without proper attribution. To address this, we will transfer all proceeds from the NFT sales to Chris Biron.

Base’s professional handling of the situation has been highly praised by Biron, who called it a “class act” and commended the development team for their respect and transparency in resolving the matter.