If you have followed Base's technical news this year, you have probably run into names that do not fit the old pattern. For a long time, Base's protocol upgrades were named after the OP Stack's shared geology list: Bedrock, Regolith, Canyon, Delta, and so on, a naming scheme Base shared with every other chain built on the same stack. Starting in 2026, a new set of names started showing up instead: Azul, Beryl, Cobalt, and Denim. This is not a rebrand for its own sake. It reflects a real change in how Base ships upgrades, and each of those four releases changed something worth knowing about if you hold or swap tokens on Base.
Why the names changed
In February 2026, Base announced it was moving from the shared OP Stack codebase it had used since launch toward its own unified, Base operated client software. Our guide on what changed when Base moved away from the OP Stack covers that announcement in detail. The short version is that Base can now ship upgrades on its own schedule instead of coordinating every release with every other chain on the shared Superchain stack. A side effect of that independence is that Base's upgrades now get their own names rather than pulling from the OP Stack's shared list.
Azul: faster, more secure withdrawals
Azul was the first release under this new track. It activated on Base Sepolia in April 2026 and on Base mainnet on May 28, 2026. Its headline change was a multiproof system that combines a trusted execution environment proof with a zero knowledge proof to verify withdrawals from Base back to Ethereum, alongside a move to a more unified client stack for node operators. Our article on zero knowledge proofs and Base's multiproof withdrawals explains how that system works and what it did to withdrawal times.
Beryl: the B20 token standard
Beryl followed on June 25, 2026. It introduced B20, a token standard built directly into Base's node software rather than implemented purely as a smart contract pattern the way ERC-20 is. B20 is aimed at tokenized real world assets and other cases where an issuer needs built in compliance controls, and it also shortened the standard withdrawal delay from seven days down to five. It runs alongside ERC-20, not in place of it, so the tokens you already hold and swap on Base are unaffected. Our guide to the B20 token standard goes through what it is and is not.
Cobalt: conditional transactions
The next release in the sequence, Cobalt, centers on a feature usually called Validity Transactions, or conditional transactions. The idea is that you sign a transaction once and attach a condition tied to onchain state, for example a minimum pool price, an account balance threshold, or a block number deadline. Base holds the signed transaction and only allows it to be included once that condition is satisfied, and if the deadline passes first, it is never included at all. Meeting the condition does not guarantee the transaction gets in immediately, since it still competes under normal fee rules once eligible.
Cobalt also adds more controls to B20 issued assets, including the ability to combine allowlists and blocklists with simple logic and to schedule changes like token multipliers in advance for things such as corporate actions.
As of this writing, reporting on Cobalt's exact mainnet activation date has been inconsistent, with some coverage describing it as live and Base's own published schedule at times listing it as still rolling out. If a dapp or wallet mentions conditional transactions, treat the feature as new and still settling in, and check Base's official upgrades page for the current status rather than relying on a single news source.
Denim: native 200 millisecond blocks
Denim is the next planned release after Cobalt, targeting activation around November 2026. Its main goal is to make Base's block time itself about 200 milliseconds, replacing the separate preconfirmation layer called Flashblocks that currently gives you that fast feedback on top of a slower underlying block. Our article on what Flashblocks are explains how that current system works. Denim folds that speed into the base protocol instead of layering it on top, though as with any upcoming upgrade, exact activation timing can slip.
What this means for you as a wallet user
None of these four upgrades change how your wallet connects to Base, how your existing tokens behave, or how your addresses and balances work. They are protocol level changes that mostly affect node operators, infrastructure providers, and the apps and contracts built on top of Base. Our broader guide to what happens during a Base network upgrade covers the general pattern: upgrades activate at a scheduled time, node software updates ahead of it, and ordinary use of a wallet continues through it without any action needed on your part.
The practical reason to know these names at all is so that when you see "Azul," "Beryl," "Cobalt," or "Denim" mentioned in a changelog, a wallet notice, or a news article, you can place it correctly as a specific, dated Base protocol release rather than a marketing term, and understand roughly what it did or is planned to do.
The takeaway
Since early 2026, Base has shipped its own line of protocol upgrades under new names instead of the OP Stack's shared geology list. Azul brought faster multiproof withdrawals, Beryl brought the B20 token standard and a shorter withdrawal delay, Cobalt is bringing conditional transactions, and Denim is planned to fold Flashblocks style speed directly into the base protocol. Each one is a real, documented change, but for someone who just holds and swaps tokens on Base, the day to day experience stays the same through all of them.
Sources: Base upgrades overview, Base Documentation, A new, unified stack for Base Chain, Base Engineering Blog, Base launches Cobalt upgrade with conditional transactions and new B20 asset functions, The Block, 200ms blocks, Base Documentation