- Ethereum L2 blockchain Base creator Jesse Pollak apologized for resharing controversial digital artwork containing inappropriate phrases.
- The artwork featured the phrase “Base is for…” followed by terms including “pimping” and “squirting,” which sparked criticism from crypto industry participants.
- This incident follows another recent controversy where Base was associated with a memecoin that surged and then crashed.
Jesse Pollak, creator of Ethereum layer 2 blockchain Base, issued an apology on April 18 after facing criticism for resharing digital artwork that contained controversial content. The artwork played on Base’s tagline "Base is for everyone," featuring rotating phrases including terms like "pimping" and "squirting," which many social media users deemed inappropriate and offensive.
"It was a single phrase among many, but I’ll own this was a mistake and apologize," Pollak said in a post on X. He specifically addressed the phrase "Base is for pimping," clarifying that while the artwork was created by someone else, he recognized his error in resharing it.
Art Appreciation vs. Responsibility
Pollak explained his motivation was to support artists building on Base and acknowledged his appreciation for "provocative art." However, he recognized the need to be more mindful of content he shares, particularly when it appears to come directly from him as a platform leader.
The reshared GIF sparked significant backlash within the crypto community. Commentator "Kristel" said, "so we’re just casually platforming pimping now? I get pushing boundaries, but this isn’t it." Crypto commentator David Z. Morris added that this "doesn’t just hurt Base, it hurts crypto" and noted the specific reference to exploitation was "specifically bad for a sector that needs to advance the narrative that open finance is a net social positive."
Despite the criticism, many community members praised Pollak for his apology. Bankless co-founder David Hoffman said, "I respect the leadership here," while others encouraged him to continue pushing boundaries.
Second Controversy in Short Succession
This incident follows another recent controversy involving Base. Just days earlier, the official Base X account shared a post promoting a memecoin with its "Base is for everyone" tagline, along with a link to a token on Zora.
The token rapidly reached a peak market capitalization of $17.1 million before crashing by nearly 90% to $1.9 million within 20 minutes, according to data from DEX Screener.
A Coinbase spokeswoman clarified the situation on April 17, stating: "Base did not launch a token. This is not an official Base token, and Base did not sell this token. Base posted on Zora, which automatically tokenizes content."
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