Base Unveils Basenames, a Tool to Make Blockchain Addresses Human Readable

The team behind the Base blockchain incubated by Coinbase unveiled a new product called Basenames, the latest way to make alphanumeric blockchain addresses human readable.

The team behind the Base blockchain incubated by Coinbase unveiled a new product called Basenames, the latest way to make alphanumeric blockchain addresses human readable.

The tool builds on the popular Ethereum ETH -3.38% ETH -3.38% See Details Name Service (a.k.a. ENS) that provides users with .eth addresses, like vitalik.eth or tom.base.eth.

“Our vision for Base Names is that it is the connective tissue that will enable builders to connect with other builders, builders to more closely connect with the people,” Base Head of Product Thomas Vieira said at Coinbase’s BaseCamp Summit on Thursday. “I may have 10^18 problems, but onchain identity won’t be one.”

Users will be able to connect a number of different wallets to the application, including MetaMask, Rainbow and Coinbase Wallet, among others, to register a name. There is also a webpage where users can search for other Basename addresses to interact with and a way to customize their profiles by adding a bio, social media handles and relevant skills.

In essence, Basenames will serve as a type of onchain resume, where the talents that people attest to having (like proficiency in the Solidity programming language, marketing experience, legal expertise, etc.) can be backed up with “bona fides onchain,” Vieira said. These include credentials and other blockchain data that can create a “holistic, united builder profile.”

“Finding people to build with is one of the main problems we’re trying to solve … we want you to be able to connect more closely with … people in your community,” Vieira said.

Additionally, like other onchain naming systems including ENS and Unstoppable Domains, the tool will make sending payments easier and less prone to “fat finger” mistakes like interacting with the wrong address. Basenames will look nearly identical to .eth ENS addresses, but will include a Base-specific domain extension, as so: .eth.base.

The product will be available initially to everyone attending BaseCamp and will be rolled out to the general public in the next couple of weeks, Vieira said.