Base Proposes ERC-8021 'Builder Codes' for On-Chain Attribution

- The proposal was authored by Conner Swenberg and is currently in the "Draft" status. - It introduces a standardized method for attributing on-chain transactions by appending a small amount of data, the "Builder Code," as a suffix to a transaction. This allows any platform to recognize the application or wallet that generated the activity. - A core component is a smart contract registry where developers can map their builder code to a specific wallet address to receive programmatic revenue distributions. - The standard is designed for seamless adoption and does not require any modifications to existing smart contracts, as the appended data is ignored by the contract's execution logic. - The concept is heavily inspired by the success of a similar system on the decentralized perpetuals exchange Hyperliquid, which has proven to be a significant revenue stream for third-party developers. - Hyperliquid's builder code ecosystem has generated tens of millions in revenue for developers. In January 2026, builder code fees represented $5.65 million of the protocol's monthly gross revenue. - The Solana-based wallet Phantom has reportedly earned nearly $100,000 in daily revenue by integrating with Hyperliquid's builder code system. - Following the trend, prediction market Polymarket has also initiated a "Builders Program" to incentivize developers, allocating over $2.5 million in grants for those building on its platform.