Base rolls out Cobalt upgrade with conditional transactions and tokenized asset controls

Conditional transactions added

One of the main changes in Cobalt is the launch of Validity Transactions. These let a user submit a transaction that is only eligible to be included in a block if pre-defined onchain conditions are satisfied.

Base gave the example of a swap that should go through only if an asset reaches a specified price before a chosen block deadline. Under the new system, Base holds the transaction and checks whether the required conditions match the chain’s state as each block is built.

According to Base, transactions submitted this way can remain private until they are included in a block. The feature is meant to give traders more control over when a transaction can execute rather than sending it directly for immediate inclusion.

B20 gains layered compliance checks

Cobalt is also Base’s third major upgrade and extends the B20 token standard with more detailed issuer controls. A key addition is the ability to apply multiple compliance checks to the same asset at once.

In practice, that means an issuer could require a recipient to clear identity verification, qualify as an accredited investor and also not appear on a sanctions list before a transfer is allowed. The upgrade is designed to support assets that need more than a single eligibility rule.

Tools for corporate actions and admin transfers

The upgrade also introduces a way for issuers to schedule corporate-action adjustments such as stock splits. Base said this changes the number of shares shown in wallets and apps without minting or burning tokens and without changing the underlying balance.

Another new option allows issuers to authorize administrators to move tokens out of a holder’s wallet without that holder’s approval, while attaching a public note to the transfer. Base said the issuer chooses whether to enable this function and decides who is permitted to use it.

Base said it cannot initiate those transfers itself. The feature is presented as an issuer-controlled administrative tool rather than a network-level power held by Base.

Broader push into onchain finance

Taken together, the Cobalt changes are aimed at giving issuers more of the compliance and operational controls that traditional financial products often require. That includes transfer restrictions, administrative workflows and handling events such as stock splits within tokenized assets.

The addition of conditional transaction handling at the same time also broadens the network’s tooling for trading and execution. With Cobalt now live, the confirmed next step is practical adoption: issuers can choose whether to turn on the new B20 controls, and users can begin submitting Validity Transactions under the system’s onchain conditions framework.