Base’s GrokCoin Endorsement Ignites Tensions with Developers

A major controversy has erupted within the Base blockchain community after its official X (Twitter) account promoted GrokCoin, a newly launched token, while established builders voiced frustration over being ignored.

The dispute highlights growing tensions between blockchain developers and platform operators over project visibility and promotional priorities.

Base’s Endorsement of GrokCoin

Recently, GrokCoin made headlines when concerns emerged over its legitimacy and association with Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok. Despite the controversy, Base, an Ethereum Layer-2 (L2) network, publicly supported the project. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Base wrote:

“In case you missed it, Grok launched a token on Base thanks to Bankr and Clanker’s trading mechanisms. Grok’s AI-controlled wallet is already stacking fees ($200K+ and counting). Why does it matter? AI is owning wallets, making markets, and generating revenue. Welcome to the future,” Base shared on Monday.

This endorsement sparked an immediate backlash from developers who have spent months building applications on Base. Their bone of contention is that they have received little recognition from the L2 blockchain’s official channels.

Kawz, the founder of the Solana-based project Time.fun, was among the most vocal critics. He expressed frustration over Base’s selective promotion strategy.

“I spent months building an app on Base and was never able to get the Base account to tweet about the product. Some shitposters convinced Grok to loosely give token details and launch a token, and it gets front-page coverage ++ farms degens with no utility,” Kawz lamented.

Further, Kawz slammed Base for not acknowledging builders on its blockchain. The Time.fun executive was not alone in his criticism. Blockchain speculator FloBro echoed similar sentiments.

“That’s exactly what it is… not hard to do & marketed as if it’s some huge tech advancement. Jesse Pollak and Base don’t practice what they preach & that’s why they’re losing quality builders. They just push their little circle & ignore everyone else with alienating messages like ‘Just keep building.’ Base is cringe… and that’s why there was never a meme season. They don’t get it,” FloBro indicated.

Supporters Defend GrokCoin’s Launch

Despite the criticism, some community members defended Base’s actions. Shazam, a builder on Base, provided insight into the GrokCoin launch process. He explained that community members had to send 5 million BNKR tokens to Grok’s wallet to create the coin. He suggested that Grok’s affiliation with Elon Musk could ultimately benefit Ethereum’s ecosystem.

“I understand the pain here. However, the Banker bot that was set up using Privy_io to give X accounts Base wallets. Then community members had to send Grok 5 million BNKR coins to its wallet so it could make a coin. And that coin is generating fee revenue that can bring more attention to Base because Elon owns Grok. Which ultimately could help Ethereum in general,” the builder explained.

The dispute reflects a fundamental divide within the Base community. On one side, independent developers feel sidelined and underappreciated for their work. On the other hand, GrokCoin proponents argue that its AI-driven mechanics and high-profile associations could bring valuable attention to the ecosystem.

As the debate unfolds, Base’s leadership faces mounting pressure to clarify its promotional policies. This raises the need to address growing dissatisfaction among builders who feel overshadowed by hype-driven projects.