Base just pushed its second network upgrade, Beryl, out to the mainnet, rolling out the B20 native token standard alongside some major performance boosts. This update comes only four weeks after the Azul rollout, really showing off how Base has sped up its release pace thanks to the consolidation of the Base Stack.
With this change, Beryl is turning Base into a “first-class issuance platform,” complete with easy native token templates, shorter wait times for withdrawals, and improved scalability courtesy of Reth V2.
B20: Native tokens, not smart contracts
B20 is Base’s new token standard that runs as a precompiled contract in Rust directly in the node software, rather than as onchain Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode. It implements full ERC-20 compatibility, making B20 tokens drop-in replacements for existing wallets, explorers, and tooling.
B20 also supports ERC-2612 permits for signature-based approvals, role-based access control, and issuer-configurable transfer policies including freeze-and-seize capabilities. The standard includes two variants in this release:
- Asset (with configurable decimals and metadata)
- Stablecoin (with fixed 6-decimal precision and currency codes)
Base stated that upcoming features include paying gas in B20 tokens, virtual addresses, and around 50 percent cheaper transfers.
Reduced withdrawal delay and Reth V2
Beryl cuts the withdrawal delay from Base to Ethereum from 7 days to 5 days for the standard single-proof path, improving capital efficiency for bridging providers and users. The reduction is possible because the Multiproof system introduced in Azul provides a positive proof requirement, leaving a shorter window to detect faulty provers.
Reth V2 reduces node disk usage (around 50 percent) across full, minimal, and archive nodes, and improves node performance. This allows Base to raise block gas targets without overloading the sequencer or Remote Procedure Call (RPC) nodes. The upgrade also includes Base’s first custom precompiles, setting the stage for future performance optimizations.
Base’s institutional push
Technical stuff aside, Beryl shows that Base is trying to pull in big institutions for stablecoins and real-world assets (RWAs). By putting compliance tools like role-based permissions and freeze-and-seize powers right into the protocol, Base is making a setup that fits regulatory requirements out of the box..
This change makes Base way more than just a cheap place to trade; it’s now a real player for issuing tokenized assets. The timing is deliberate: as big finance players start looking at issuing assets onchain, having these compliance features built-in could easily make Base the go-to choice for institutional tokenization.
