Definition
Base
A Layer 2 blockchain built on Ethereum by Coinbase, offering low fees and fast settlement — the default chain for Mithril payments.
Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) blockchain developed by Coinbase. It inherits Ethereum's security while offering significantly lower gas fees (fractions of a cent) and faster transaction times (2 seconds). Base is Mithril's recommended chain for x402 payments because of its low cost and speed — a micro-transaction that would cost $2+ in gas on Ethereum mainnet costs less than $0.001 on Base. Mithril also supports Polygon, Arbitrum, Ethereum, and Solana.
Related terms
On-Chain Settlement
The process of recording and finalizing a payment transaction on a blockchain, providing immutable proof of payment.
USDC
A US dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, used as the payment currency for all Mithril transactions.
Micro-Transaction
A very small financial transaction, typically under $1, enabled by low-fee blockchain networks for pay-per-call API pricing.