In a recent episode of The Milk Road Show, host Kyle Reidhead sat down with Jesse Pollak, the founder of Base and a key executive at Coinbase. The conversation unpacked Coinbase's ambitious plans to reshape not just finance, but also social interactions and payments, all powered by blockchain technology. If you're into meme tokens and the wild world of crypto, this chat highlights how platforms like Base are fueling the next wave of decentralized creativity and economic freedom.

Coinbase's Core Mission: Boosting Economic Freedom Worldwide

Pollak kicked things off by reiterating Coinbase's longstanding goal: increasing economic freedom globally. Founded in 2012, Coinbase started as a simple way to buy Bitcoin. Fast-forward to today, and it's evolving into a powerhouse that could replace traditional banks, social apps like TikTok, and even e-commerce giants like Shopify. Economic freedom, as Pollak explains, means secure property rights, privacy in transactions, and the ability to start businesses without scams or bribes holding you back.

He broke down crypto's evolution into phases: starting with assets like Bitcoin, moving to exchanges, then consumer interfaces, and finally, everyday life on-chain. We're just entering this last phase, where apps like stablecoins enable instant, free global transfers. For meme token enthusiasts, this means lower barriers to launching and trading fun, community-driven assets on chains like Base, where fees are pennies compared to Ethereum's past highs.

Blending Finance and Social: The Base App's Potential

One of the episode's highlights was the discussion on merging finance with social media. Pollak envisions the Base App as a next-gen social network where creators earn 95% of the value they generate—flipping the script on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, where creators get crumbs. In traditional social media, big corps pocket most of the ad revenue, but on Base, on-chain mechanics reward posters directly.

Imagine posting a viral meme and instantly earning from it via content coins or creator tokens. Pollak noted how Base's low-cost, fast transactions make this sticky: creators post, fans buy in, and value flows back seamlessly. This could spark viral growth, much like ChatGPT did for AI, but for crypto social. Meme tokens fit perfectly here—Base has already seen explosions in memecoins, thanks to its scalability and community vibe.

Regulatory Shifts and Surging Demand

The talk shifted to regulations, with Pollak praising recent U.S. changes like Project Crypto, aimed at on-chaining the financial system. Just months ago, meetings with the SEC were rare; now, they're collaborative. This sea change unleashes builders, reducing fear of lawsuits and letting innovation thrive.

Demand is booming too. Institutions, developers, and consumers are piling in, with Base seeing steady growth. Pollak dismissed bear market vibes—on the ground, energy is at all-time highs. For meme tokens, this means more liquidity and users on Base, where cheap fees enable wild experiments without breaking the bank.

Going Fully On-Chain: Coinbase's Internal Revolution

Pollak shared how Coinbase is eating its own dogfood by moving operations on-chain via Base. Examples include borrowing USDC against Bitcoin using Morpho lending pools—instant, cheap, and global. They're also launching a DEX integration, letting users trade any Base asset directly in the Coinbase app. This "DeFi mullet" (business in front, party on-chain in back) streamlines everything, cutting costs and boosting accessibility.

Looking ahead, Coinbase aims for an "everything exchange" where you trade stocks, bonds, or meme coins in one spot. Pollak's excited about tokenizing equities and prediction markets, opening doors for meme-inspired bets and community-driven assets.

Wrapping Up: The Future Looks Based

The episode wrapped with Pollak urging creators to tokenize content on Base—safe, rewarding, and stigma-free now. Milk Road's ready to jump in once Base App access opens wider. For blockchain fans, especially those hunting meme token gems, Base's ecosystem is primed for explosion.

If you're building or trading memes, keep an eye on Base. It's not just about finance; it's redefining social and payments too. Check out the full episode on Milk Road's Linktree for more.