If you've been holding Bitcoin but eyeing those wild meme token pumps on Base, Coinbase just made your life a whole lot easier. In a recent tweet, Max Branzburg, who leads consumer and business products at Coinbase, highlighted an insane milestone: $850 million in USDC borrowed against Bitcoin through the Coinbase app, powered by Morpho Labs on the Base blockchain.

That's a whopping 17x increase in just seven months, starting from a modest $50 million back in April 2025. For context, Morpho is a decentralized lending protocol that optimizes interest rates and risk management, making it a go-to for efficient DeFi borrowing. Here, users deposit BTC as collateral and borrow USDC – a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar – without having to sell their precious Bitcoin.

This growth isn't just numbers on a chart; it's a signal of mainstream crypto users diving deeper into DeFi. Branzburg noted in his original post from April that they hadn't even ramped up marketing or made it easy to find in the app yet. Fast forward to November 2025, and we're seeing billions in potential liquidity ready to flow onchain.

Why This Matters for Meme Token Enthusiasts

Meme tokens thrive on liquidity and hype, and Base has become a hotspot for them thanks to low fees and seamless integrations. With this Coinbase-Morpho setup, you can unlock cash from your idle BTC holdings to jump into the next big meme coin without triggering taxable events from selling. Imagine borrowing USDC to ape into a trending token like a dog-themed coin or a viral cat project – all while keeping your Bitcoin stack intact for the long haul.

Back in April, the chart looked like this, showing the early traction:

The exponential rise since then underscores how user-friendly tools like Coinbase's Smart Wallet are bridging traditional crypto holders into DeFi. Smart Wallets, by the way, are account abstraction wallets that simplify onchain interactions, making things like gas fees and approvals feel more like using a regular app.

The Bigger Picture in Crypto Lending

This isn't isolated growth. DeFi lending protocols like Morpho are gaining traction because they offer better rates and flexibility compared to centralized options. On Morpho, interest rates are dynamic, based on supply and demand, often beating out traditional banks or even other DeFi platforms like Aave. For meme token traders, this means more capital to deploy during bull runs, potentially amplifying those 10x pumps we've all chased.

Of course, borrowing comes with risks – liquidation if BTC prices drop too far below your loan-to-value ratio. But for savvy users, it's a powerful tool to leverage positions without full exposure.

Community Reactions and What's Next

The tweet sparked conversations, with users asking for more education on loans, network expansions like adding NEAR for USDC transfers, and even some light-hearted memes. One reply highlighted the need for guides on DeFi vs. TradFi loans, which is spot on – understanding adjustable rates and tax implications is key.

Looking ahead, if Coinbase ramps up discoverability, we could see this hit billions more. For meme token insiders, this liquidity injection could supercharge the Base ecosystem, where tokens like many viral projects are born daily.

If you're new to this, start by checking out the Coinbase app and exploring Morpho markets. It's a straightforward way to put your BTC to work while staying in the meme game. Stay tuned for more updates as DeFi and memes continue to collide.