Base activates Cobalt with conditional transactions and new token controls

Base activated its Cobalt upgrade on September 30, adding transactions that wait for specified onchain conditions and more controls for issuers using its B20 token standard. The network’s official status record marked the mainnet maintenance complete at 20:00 UTC, or 4 p.m. Eastern.

The launch gives developers a way to submit a transaction before the state needed for it exists. It also expands how token issuers combine access rules and administer assets. Base’s documentation lists Cobalt as live on mainnet, following its September 23 Sepolia testnet activation.

Conditions before inclusion

Validity Transactions are signed transactions with a separate set of conditions. Base checks those conditions before considering the transaction for inclusion. The supported checks cover balances, storage, block numbers and Flashblock indexes; every specified condition must match.

The Block’s James Hunt reported that a trader could submit a swap tied to a pool price and a block deadline. If the condition is reached in time, the transaction becomes eligible. If it is not, Base does not include it.

That eligibility has a limit worth understanding: the official specification says matching conditions do not reserve block space or guarantee inclusion. Applications still need to handle a transaction that qualifies but does not land.

More controls for token issuers

Cobalt’s B20 changes include composite policies that combine existing rules with OR or AND logic. Hunt reported that an issuer could require a recipient to satisfy both a KYC allowlist and a separate accreditation list. Losing either permission would prevent the transfer.

The upgrade also adds scheduled multiplier changes, which can adjust displayed balances for events such as stock splits, and an authorized seizure function. Where seizure is enabled, an administrator can move a holder’s balance and record a memo with the transfer.

An operator requirement remains

Base’s maintenance notice required mainnet node operators to use version 1.4.2 or later. Cobalt introduces a contract for storing upgrade timestamps, but Base says this dynamic upgrade mechanism currently runs in metrics-only mode on mainnet.

The launch therefore brings new transaction and asset functions while the network collects data on that separate upgrade mechanism.