Base Creator Apologizes for Sharing ‘Base is for Pimping’ Art: What a Mess!

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Well, it looks like Jesse Pollak, the creator of Ethereum‘s Layer 2 blockchain “Base,” has had his moment of realization. After posting a digital artwork that stirred up more controversy than a bad crypto investment, Pollak has come out and apologized. The image, which poked fun at Base’s tagline “Base is for everyone,” included the infamous phrase “Base is for pimping.” Needless to say, people were not amused.

“It was just one phrase in a sea of many, but I’m owning up to it,” Pollak said on his April 18 post on X (formerly Twitter), admitting that resharing a GIF with words like “pimping” and “squirting” mixed in with “art,” “minting,” and “ideas” might not have been the best move. Oops. Who could have seen that coming?

Pollak Defends His Love for ‘Provocative Art’… Sort of

Pollak went on to clarify that the controversial artwork wasn’t even created by him, but by another artist. Yet, he still apologized for sharing the phrase “Base is for pimping.” After all, sometimes we all just need to think before we hit share, right?

He continued, “While I support the artists on Base and appreciate provocative art, I’ll be more careful with what I share, especially when it looks like it’s coming from me directly.” Ah, the old “lesson learned” speech. We’ve all been there, Jesse. 🙄

Of course, not everyone was ready to let it slide. Several crypto community members took to social media to express their displeasure with the image, particularly the use of “pimping.” Cryptic commentary from a user named “Kristel” summed up the mood: “So we’re just casually platforming pimping now? I get pushing boundaries, but this isn’t it.” Ouch.

David Z. Morris, another crypto commentator, went further, stating that the phrase was “specifically bad for a sector that needs to advance the narrative that open finance is a net social positive.” Well, that escalated quickly. 📉

But not all feedback was harsh. Some applauded Pollak’s honesty and his willingness to admit his mistake. “Love the honesty. We all make mistakes, but it’s about how we grow from them,” said crypto commentator Zuri. Other figures like David Hoffman and Kyle Reidhead offered words of support, with Reidhead advising, “Do and share whatever you want without apology.” Bold move, Kyle.

As if this wasn’t enough drama, just days before, Base had also sparked controversy when its official X account posted a meme coin under the tagline “Base is for everyone.” Classic move, huh? The token hit a peak market cap of $17.1 million before plummeting 90% in value, because that’s how memecoins roll, apparently.

And for those who are wondering, Base did not launch the token itself. A Coinbase spokeswoman was quick to clarify, saying, “Base did not launch a token. This is not an official Base token. Base posted on Zora, which automatically tokenizes content.” So there you go, folks. Crisis averted… or is it?

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2025-04-19 11:22