Base releases the first independent network upgrade Azul, planning to activate the mainnet

Base announced that its first independent network upgrade, Base Azul, has gone live on the testnet, with the target mainnet activation date set for May 13, 2026. This upgrade is the first network-level upgrade for Base independent of the OP Stack.

The official statement indicates that Azul will enhance security, performance, and developer experience in three areas: Base will enable a multi-proof mechanism through Azul, base-reth-node will become its sole execution client, and it will adopt the latest execution layer specification (Osaka) to keep Base aligned with Ethereum. Users do not need to take any action for this upgrade.