Coinbase is bringing back the Coinbase Wallet name. The company plans to rebrand the Base App to Coinbase Wallet on September 8, reversing a move made just over a year ago.
The change signals a shift in focus. Coinbase is moving away from the app’s social-first ambitions and toward trading across multiple blockchain networks. The company wants users to think of the wallet as a place to trade almost any asset, on any chain, quickly.
Ryan Kass, Coinbase Wallet’s head of product, said the rebrand reflects the app’s expansion beyond Base into a multichain trading platform. The company believes the familiar name better supports its broader “everything exchange” strategy.
“The rebrand back to Coinbase Wallet is a representation that you can access any asset, regardless of what chain it’s on, regardless of the brand of asset on crypto,” Kass told Decrypt.
The Return of a Familiar Name
Coinbase unveiled the Base App in Los Angeles in July 2025. That rebrand turned Coinbase Wallet into an “everything app” combining crypto trading, social networking, messaging, AI tools, and creator monetization. The new name lasted roughly 14 months.
Now the company is reversing course. Kass said the wallet will serve as Coinbase’s “test kitchen,” bringing users new trading experiences across multiple networks. The wallet will continue to support Base, but it will no longer prioritize the social features that defined the Base App era.
The shift follows a reassessment of the app’s social strategy. In July, Base creator Jesse Pollak stepped back from leading the app to focus on the Base blockchain. Pollak acknowledged that his push into social features and creator coins had not attracted the adoption he expected.
Social activity could still find a place in the product, but Kass said the wallet would follow user demand rather than prioritize a particular model.
Trading Anything, Anywhere
The rebrand is about expanding what users can trade. Kass pointed to several developments that reflect Coinbase Wallet’s return to its roots:
- The launch of perpetual futures on Hyperliquid
- Support for other crypto networks including Solana
- Tokenized stocks across multiple chains
“We don’t want to put limits on what people trade, and we see that our users are asking to trade all these sorts of assets,” Kass added.
The multichain approach is central to the company’s strategy. Coinbase wants the wallet to be a destination where users can access assets regardless of which blockchain hosts them. That means supporting competitors’ networks alongside Base.
The Robinhood Factor
The mention of Robinhood Chain is notable. Coinbase and Robinhood compete for customers, but Kass said neither can afford to exclude the other’s ecosystem. Offering a broad range of assets—and letting users decide where to trade—is key to winning their business.
“Right now, Robinhood Chain is very hot, but Base Chain is really fast and offers super cheap fees,” he said. “We believe that this stuff is cyclical, and when the rotation is back to Base Chain, Coinbase Wallet will be ready.”
Kass framed the competition as a cycle rather than a permanent shift. He argued that trading activity moves between networks, and Coinbase Wallet needs to be prepared for when the momentum returns to Base.
The Test Kitchen Model
The “test kitchen” concept is central to Coinbase’s plan. The wallet will serve as a place where new assets and experiences can be introduced before potentially reaching the main Coinbase exchange.
“On Coinbase Wallet, you can usually find things very quickly,” Kass said. “We offer the Robinhood chain, we offer Hyperliquid perps, and a lot of the time, things that land on Coinbase Wallet will find their way to Coinbase retail.”
The wallet’s role as a test kitchen gives it a distinct function within the company’s ecosystem. New offerings appear there first, and some eventually reach the flagship exchange.
A Quick Reversal
The timeline is striking. The rebrand to Base App happened in July 2025. The company positioned the move as a bold step toward an “everything app” that would combine trading with social networking and AI tools.
Fourteen months later, the company is walking it back.
The reversal follows the social-first strategy falling short of expectations. Pollak’s step back in July was the clearest sign. His acknowledgment that social features and creator coins had not attracted the adoption he expected marked a turning point for the product.
Kass emphasized the trading side of the product in his comments. The wallet’s future, he suggested, lies in being a fast, broad trading destination rather than a social platform.
What the Rebrand Means for Base
Despite the name change, Kass said Coinbase remains committed to Base. The wallet will continue to distribute the network’s assets, communities, and features.
“So Coinbase Wallet is the name getting back to our roots, and represents that it’s your place to trade anything anywhere very quickly,” he said.
The commitment to Base is not a retreat from the network. Rather, it reflects a change in how the wallet relates to it. Instead of being defined by Base, the wallet will treat Base as one of several networks it supports.
That distinction matters for users. Someone using Coinbase Wallet can still access Base-based assets and communities. They can also access assets on Solana, Hyperliquid, and Robinhood Chain. The wallet is no longer tied to a single network’s identity.
What Users Should Expect
For current users, the rebrand means a name change and a shift in emphasis. Trading will be the focus. Users can expect continued support for Base alongside growing support for other networks. The wallet’s role as a test kitchen means new assets will likely appear there before they reach the main Coinbase exchange.
The rebrand takes effect on September 8. After that date, the app will once again be called Coinbase Wallet.
Kass framed the change as a return to the product’s origins. “The rebrand back to Coinbase Wallet is a representation that you can access any asset, regardless of what chain it’s on,” he said.
The company is betting that the familiar name, combined with a broad trading focus, will win over users. Whether that bet pays off will depend on how well the wallet delivers on its promise of trading anything, anywhere, and quickly.
For now, Coinbase is doubling down on the idea that users want choice. The wallet will offer it.
Source: decrypt.co
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.