coin comparison

base vs arbitrum

the two leading Ethereum L2s for real users — Coinbase's on-ramp advantage versus Arbitrum's DeFi depth.

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1 BASE = $2,430 · live1 ARB = $0.1093 · live
side by side

the specs

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spec
Base (BASE)
Arbitrum (ARB)
launched
2023
2021
consensus
Ethereum L2 (optimistic rollup)
Ethereum L2 (optimistic rollup)
supply
No native token — uses ETH for gas
10B cap
typical fee
a few cents
a few cents
speed
~2 s blocks, settles in seconds
~250 ms blocks, settles in seconds
main use
Consumer crypto apps, payments
Ethereum scaling, DeFi
for merchants

as a payment method

accepting BASE

the fastest-growing consumer L2 — Coinbase users can pay straight from their exchange account.

how to accept base
accepting ARB

Ethereum security with L2 fees — good for customers already active in DeFi.

how to accept arbitrum

In practice, merchants don't have to choose. A crypt.pe payment page lists every coin you enable — the customer picks whichever they already hold, and each payment settles wallet-to-wallet to your own address with 0% platform fees. Accepting both BASE and ARB just means more customers can pay you.

accept BASE + ARB — free
faq

frequently asked

Is Base better than Arbitrum?

Neither is strictly better — they optimise for different things. Base focuses on consumer crypto apps, payments, while Arbitrum focuses on ethereum scaling, defi. The right choice depends on whether you value Base's Ethereum L2 (optimistic rollup) model or Arbitrum's speed, fees and ecosystem for your use case.

Which is faster for payments, BASE or ARB?

Base settles in ~2 s blocks, settles in seconds, while Arbitrum settles in ~250 ms blocks, settles in seconds. Typical network fees are a few cents on Base and a few cents on Arbitrum.

Should a business accept BASE, ARB, or both?

Both — there is no trade-off. A crypt.pe payment page lists every coin you enable, the customer picks whichever they hold, and each payment settles to your own wallet with 0% platform fees. Accepting both simply widens who can pay you.

Will BASE or ARB be worth more in the future?

Nobody can know — price predictions are scenarios, not facts. You can stress-test your own assumptions with the Base and Arbitrum scenario calculators on crypt.pe, which project the live price forward at growth rates you choose. Educational only, never financial advice.

educational comparison — not financial advice. always do your own research.