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Jesse Pollak, creator and lead of Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer-2 network Base, issued a firm statement on January 27, 2026, rejecting any form of token price manipulation by the Base core team. In a direct response to community calls urging the team to “support charts behind the scenes” or deploy capital to boost specific ecosystem tokens, Pollak labeled such practices as illegal, unsustainable, and detrimental to market integrity.
In his X post, Pollak explained that privately coordinating or allocating funds to artificially drive an asset’s price toward a targeted outcome would disadvantage other projects, erode trust in the ecosystem, violate Base’s commitment to free and open markets, and likely contravene securities laws. He drew a clear distinction between legitimate promotion (e.g., visibility for high-quality apps) and secret manipulation, stressing that Base operates as neutral, open infrastructure aligned with Coinbase’s obligations as a regulated U.S. public company.
The clarification follows renewed scrutiny over perceived favoritism in Base’s ecosystem, particularly amid meme token hype and debates on distribution strategies. Some community members had pushed for intervention to counter volatility or highlight tokens, but Pollak emphasized organic price discovery based on real demand, adoption, and quality. He reiterated that Base focuses on building tools, onboarding builders, and fostering transparent growth rather than short-term price games.
Analysts and industry observers welcomed the stance, viewing it as a maturing signal for the sector. As regulators worldwide intensify oversight of pump-and-dump schemes, insider trading, and manipulative trading—especially in meme-heavy ecosystems—platforms prioritizing compliance are positioned to attract institutional capital and long-term users. Base’s approach aligns with broader efforts to separate ethical promotion from illegal coordination.
Investors are reminded to exercise caution: conduct thorough due diligence, avoid hype-driven tokens promising quick gains, and prioritize projects with transparent teams and real utility. By publicly committing to non-manipulation, Base aims to set a standard for responsible conduct in crypto’s evolving landscape, emphasizing sustainable value creation over speculative volatility.
