Base Beryl upgrade launches June 25 with native B20 token standard
In brief
- Beryl upgrade activates June 25 with B20, a native token standard running in Base node code rather than smart contracts
- Withdrawal delays from Base to Ethereum drop from seven days to five days
- B20 includes issuer controls for minting, burning, pausing, and supply caps, audited by Base and Spearbit
- Native execution expected to cut transfer costs by 50% and double throughput
B20 Token Standard and Compatibility
B20 follows the ERC-20 specification, allowing tokens created under the standard to work with existing wallets, exchanges, explorers, indexers, and onchain protocols. This compatibility means tokens issued through B20 will behave like standard ERC-20 assets, so applications will not need a separate integration.
The standard launches with two variants. The Asset version handles general token issuance, while the Stablecoin version is built specifically for fiat-backed assets. The B20 toolkit includes issuer controls for minting, burning, pausing, supply caps, transfer restrictions, signature-based approvals, transfer memos, and freezing or burning assets held by blocked addresses. Base said the toolkit was audited by Base and Spearbit.
Performance and Fee Improvements
Native execution is expected to eventually make transfers about 50% cheaper and double transfer throughput. Base also plans to let users pay transaction fees with B20 tokens instead of ETH, expanding flexibility for network participants.
Reth V2 will reduce disk usage across full, minimal, and archive nodes while improving how quickly nodes calculate state roots. These changes target node operators who run the network's infrastructure.
Timeline and Next Steps
Node operators must update to the latest software before Beryl activates on June 25. The upgrade is already live on the Base Sepolia testnet. Beryl arrives four weeks after Azul, the upgrade that moved Base onto the Base Stack and introduced a multiproof system for securing withdrawals.
Base's next upgrade, Cobalt, is targeted for September and is expected to introduce native account abstraction, expand B20 functionality, and combine the network's consensus and execution clients into a unified node binary.
