Base activates Beryl June 25, adds native B20 token

Base, the Ethereum layer-two network backed by Coinbase, will activate the Beryl upgrade on mainnet on June 25, 2026 at 18:00 UTC. The upgrade introduces B20, a native token standard built into node software, and shortens the single-proof withdrawal finalization window from seven days to five.

Base engineers describe B20 as a superset of the ERC-20 standard and say tokens issued on B20 remain compatible with existing wallets, exchanges and decentralized applications. B20 runs as Rust precompiles in node code rather than as smart contracts. Base says the approach lowers transaction costs, reduces the amount of data nodes must store and increases throughput compared with contract-based tokens.

B20 includes built-in compliance and issuance features aimed at stablecoin issuers and tokenized asset platforms. The standard provides role-based permissions, optional supply caps and a policy registry that allows issuers to set transfer rules for specific addresses. A function called burnBlocked lets issuers freeze or seize tokens held by blocked addresses.

At launch Base will support two B20 token types. Asset tokens offer configurable decimals and rebasing. Stablecoin tokens use a fixed six decimals and include a self-declared currency code.

Beryl also tightens withdrawal options. The single-proof bridge path will finalize in five days instead of seven. Base added a dual-proof option in the Azul upgrade in May, which settles in about one day.

The release replaces the execution client with Reth V2 from Paradigm. Base says Reth V2 cuts disk usage for nodes by roughly half and raises throughput by about a third.

Conner Swenberg and the Base engineering team wrote in a statement this week, “Beryl makes Base a first-class issuance platform with the B20 token standard, more capital efficient with a reduced withdrawal delay, and more scalable with Reth V2.”

Node operators running Base infrastructure must upgrade to base/node version 1.1.1 or later before the June 25 activation. Base noted most end users and existing smart contracts will require no action. The Beryl testnet deployment went live on Base Sepolia on June 18.

Several exchanges, including Binance, have signaled plans for temporary deposit and withdrawal pauses during the mainnet activation window. Base has scheduled a further upgrade, Cobalt, for September 2026, which the engineering team says will add native account abstraction and additional updates to the B20 standard.