Base Overtakes Ethereum, BNB Chain in DEX Volumes for the First Time

12 hours ago7 min read

In a stunning shift for the decentralized finance landscape, Base, the layer-2 network incubated by Coinbase, has for the first time eclipsed both its parent chain Ethereum and the formidable BNB Smart Chain in weekly DEX volume. This isn't just a minor milestone; it's a tectonic realignment of user activity and capital flow.Data from DefiLlama reveals that over the past seven days, Base processed a staggering $16. 5 billion in DEX trades, decisively outpacing Ethereum's $13.0 billion and BSC's $15. 6 billion.This surge is largely fueled by the viral, speculative frenzy around memecoins and novel socialfi applications native to Base, which have attracted a wave of retail traders seeking lower fees and faster transactions than Ethereum mainnet can offer. The achievement underscores a critical evolution in the Ethereum ecosystem: the vision of a scalable, user-friendly future, championed by figures like Vitalik Buterin, is being realized not on the main chain itself but on its low-cost, high-speed offspring.For years, the narrative has been about Ethereum's security and decentralization versus the higher throughput of competitors like Solana or BSC. Base's rise suggests a compelling third path—leveraging Ethereum's robust security while building a superior user experience on top of it.This volume flip could signal a lasting change in developer and user preferences, potentially drawing more innovative projects and liquidity away from standalone chains and toward Ethereum's growing layer-2 constellation. However, questions remain about whether this activity is sustainable or merely a symptom of a speculative bubble. Regardless, the message is clear: the race for DeFi dominance is no longer just between chains, but between architectural philosophies.

#Base

#decentralized exchange

#DEX volume

#Ethereum

#BNB Chain

#DeFi

#layer-2

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