Killer dApps on Base You Just Can’t Miss!

Introduction

New blockchains are popping up almost every day, and while we keep hearing the same old promises of faster transactions and lower fees, what really makes a blockchain stand out is its ecosystem. In this crypto wild west, plenty of blockchains claim to have thriving ecosystems but end up feeling like ghost towns. Base, though, is a different story. In just a few months, it’s managed to build an actually engaging ecosystem that’s more than just talk.

The Ecosystem at a Glance

Designed to supercharge scalability and slash transaction costs, the Layer 2 solution from Coinbase has quickly become a magnet for various dapps, particularly in the areas of DeFi, gaming, NFTs and social platforms. In this article, let’s take a closer look at some of the killer applications currently making waves on the Base network.

DeFi Dominance

The network has established itself as a DeFi powerhouse, with several key dapps leading the charge:

• Aerodrome Finance: Aerodrome stands out as the leading DEX and liquidity platform on Base, becoming a major DeFi player with its innovative features and strong liquidity pools. It’s driving substantial trading activity on the network and boasts a Total Value Locked (TVL) of nearly $583 million. While its native token, $AERO, has faced a steady decline over the past few months, it’s still up 573% from its launch price.
• Overnight Finance: A lending platform that enables users to borrow funds for a fixed duration, typically overnight, allowing for predictable repayment terms. Users can access liquidity by borrowing assets, which they must repay along with interest the following day, making it an efficient solution for short-term financial needs within the DeFi ecosystem. It’s been steadily gaining traction, as reflected in its growing TVL, which has reached $62 million on Base and nearly $83 million across all chains.

Gaming on the Rise

The network has established itself as a DeFi powerhouse, with several key dapps leading the charge:

• FrenPet: One of the pioneering gaming dapps on Base, FrenPet allows users to breed, train, and trade virtual pets. It combines elements of play-to-earn and NFT collectibles, making it a favorite among gamers and collectors alike. Check out our in-depth review of FrenPet here.

• Parallel: Parallel is a free-to-play digital trading card game set in a futuristic sci-fi universe where five parallel evolutions of humanity vie for control of Earth. Players collect and build decks from a diverse pool of cards representing these factions, strategizing to outmanoeuvre their opponents. The game offers an engaging experience with in-game rewards, including PRIME tokens.

Social & Community-Driven Projects

The social dapp scene on Base is buzzing, with cool platforms giving you fresh ways to connect, interact, and have fun.

• Friend.tech: Perhaps the most talked-about social dapp on Base, Friend.tech allows users to buy and sell shares for access to exclusive group chats hosted by popular social media personalities. This dapp has quickly gained traction, generating millions in fees and becoming a key player in Base’s social ecosystem. But lately, it’s faced a few hiccups, leading to a drop in both its user base and TVL. Nonetheless, it still remains an appealing platform and if you're interested to learn more, check out our detailed article here.

• 0XPPL: A Web3 social platform designed for the crypto-native community, allowing users to follow and interact with onchain activities of peers across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, and Cosmos.

Base’s foray into the NFT space has been equally impressive, with projects aimed at mainstream adoption:

The NFT Corner

Base’s foray into the NFT space has been equally impressive, with projects aimed at mainstream adoption:

• Tiny Based Frogs: This quirky NFT project has captured a large portion of Base's NFT trading volume, showcasing the network’s appeal to NFT enthusiasts. Even though it’s dropped from its earlier peak, the trading volume for these NFT collections is still around 300 ETH, which roughly translates to about $756K.

• Collectify: An NFT-as-a-Service platform that offers no-code tools, allowing creators to launch and manage NFT projects easily. It supports a wide range of functionalities, including contract creation, sales, auctions, and community engagement, all integrated into a seamless experience on the Base network.

Memecoins In Action

We can't talk about the Base ecosystem without giving a shoutout to the memecoin space, right? Two key memecoin projects that have seen significant traction on Base include:

• Base God: This memecoin takes a unique approach by incorporating religious themes into its branding. Its narrative and community engagement have shown significant growth potential, appealing to a diverse range of investors. Currently sitting at a market cap of $4.3 million, the token's price skyrocketed by 872% within just a month of its launch.

• Brett: Brett is the legendary character from Matt Furie’s Boys' club comic and thrives on its identity as a companion to Pepe, another popular meme character in the crypto space. The token has seen an impressive 2500% jump in the past few weeks and currently boasts a market cap of $805 million!

Final Thoughts

The Base network has seen impressive growth since its launch, with a TVL exceeding $1.5 billion and millions of daily active users. This rapid adoption is a testament to the network's ability to attract a diverse range of projects and users.

One key factor contributing to Base's success is its close integration with the Coinbase ecosystem. By leveraging Coinbase's vast user base, fiat onramps, and product integrations, projects on the Base network have access to a large pool of potential users and resources, making it easier to scale and gain traction.

As Base continues to grow, its ecosystem is becoming increasingly diverse. While DeFi remains a strong focus, the network’s ability to support a wide range of applications—from gaming to social platforms and NFTs—indicates a bright future.