A separate execution network
Base runs applications using the Ethereum Virtual Machine, allowing familiar Ethereum wallets and development tools to connect to its network. Mainnet has chain ID 8453 and uses ETH for fees; its Sepolia test network has a separate identifier. This distinction matters operationally: an Ethereum address can receive assets on Base while its Ethereum-mainnet balance remains unchanged. Applications and exchanges must identify the chain as well as the asset, and a token symbol alone does not establish the correct destination or contract.
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Several meanings of confirmed
Base documentation separates a sequencer preconfirmation, inclusion in an L2 block, posting of the transaction batch to Ethereum, and finality of the corresponding Ethereum data. A quick wallet receipt is useful for interacting with an application, but it is earlier in that sequence than Ethereum finality. A merchant or exchange deciding when to credit a payment is choosing which guarantee to rely on. The relevant evidence is the transaction's settlement stage, not merely that an explorer has displayed a successful execution result.
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Why a withdrawal can take longer
The canonical path from Base to Ethereum includes a challenge window for a proposed output used to establish the withdrawal. Base's documentation describes a seven-day process; this does not mean ordinary transfers and swaps within Base wait seven days. If a proposal is successfully challenged, withdrawals relying on that proposal must be proven against a valid alternative. A different bridge can offer a faster experience by supplying destination liquidity, but that introduces a separate service and settlement path. Its speed should not be confused with completion of the canonical withdrawal.
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The source notesEvidence & further reading2 sources
- Connect to Base: network parameters Base · Primary source · accessed 2026-09-21
- Base transaction finality Base · Primary source · accessed 2026-09-21