TheBlock
Base's fourth mainnet upgrade, Denim, is live and producing a full canonical block every 200 milliseconds, or five per second, the Coinbase-incubated Ethereum layer 2 said. The upgrade replaces Flashblocks and introduces millisecond-resolution timestamps for smart contracts, as well as new controls for B20 tokens.
Why it matters
The protocol now enforces a 200-millisecond interval between each block and its parent instead of relying on the sequencer's clock. Base said the change makes block production simpler and more consistent. Applications that relied on Flashblocks must migrate to standard canonical block subscriptions.
A feature called BaseTime gives smart contracts access to Unix timestamps in milliseconds. The Ethereum-compatible block.timestamp remains at whole-second resolution, while new RPC fields provide millisecond timestamps for blocks, transactions and logs.
Market impact
Base said frequent state updates and precise timing support use cases including trading, financing and payments. Denim also adds reusable compliance policies through a NOT operator and extends transfer-executor restrictions to direct transfers.
The upgrade blocks transfers, mints and seizures that send B20 tokens to their own contract address. Denim follows Azul, Beryl and Cobalt, Base's first three independent upgrades since its 2023 launch.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Denim enforce the new block interval?
The protocol enforces a 200-millisecond interval between each block and its parent, rather than relying on the sequencer's clock.
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What must applications using Flashblocks do?
Applications that relied on Flashblocks must migrate to standard canonical block subscriptions.
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Does BaseTime change Ethereum-compatible block.timestamp?
No. BaseTime gives smart contracts access to Unix timestamps in milliseconds, while block.timestamp remains at whole-second resolution.
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What new protections apply to B20 tokens?
Denim extends transfer-executor restrictions to direct transfers and blocks transfers, mints and seizures that send tokens to their own contract address.
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Which use cases does Base associate with more precise timing?
Base says frequent state updates and precise timing support trading, financing and payments.
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