Base creator says $17 million art post was a misstep

Jesse Pollak, the creator of Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) layer-2 blockchain Base and a senior executive at Coinbase, has apologised for sharing digital artwork that included the phrase “Base is for pimping,” following widespread criticism from the crypto community.

The controversy began after Pollak reshared a GIF featuring the phrase “Base is for...” with a rotating set of words, including both controversial terms like “pimping” and “squirting,” alongside more neutral ones such as “art,” “minting,” and “ideas.”

“It was a single phrase among many, but I’ll own this was a mistake and apologise,” stated Pollak in an April 18 post, addressing the backlash.

He clarified that the artwork was created by an independent artist and not by him, but acknowledged responsibility for amplifying the message. 

“I appreciate provocative art,” added Pollak, but recognised the need to be mindful of the impact of his posts, especially given his leadership role at Base and Coinbase.

The post drew swift criticism from industry commentators.

“So we’re just casually platforming pimping now?” questioned crypto commentator Kristel, adding, “I get pushing boundaries, but this isn’t it.”

Others, like Kanto Labs’ founder, described the incident as a “PR nightmare.”  

“This doesn’t just hurt Base, it hurts crypto,” said David Z. Morris, another industry observer, arguing that allusions to exploitation undermine the sector’s efforts to present open finance as a positive force.

Despite the criticism, some community members praised Pollak for his transparency and willingness to admit the mistake.

“Love the honesty. We all make mistakes, but it’s about how we grow from them,” said crypto commentator Zuri.  

The incident comes as Base has seen rapid growth and increased attention, including a recent memecoin promotion that led to a token reaching a $17.1 million market cap before plummeting by nearly 90% in 20 minutes.  

“Base did not launch a token,” clarified a Coinbase spokesperson, adding that content posted on Zora, a social network, is automatically tokenised without Base’s direct involvement.