Base's Azul on testnet

Base activated its Azul upgrade on testnet and is targeting mainnet activation on May 13, 2026. (blog.base.dev) Base calls Azul its first independent network upgrade and says it will "make Base more secure, more performant, and easier to build on." (blog.base.dev) The centerpiece is "multiproofs": a hybrid system that lets Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) provers and zero-knowledge (ZK) provers each independently finalize proposals. (theblock.co) When both proof types agree, Base says withdrawals can finalize in as little as one day, and permissionless ZK proofs will override permissioned TEE proofs if they conflict. (blog.base.dev) In recent tests Base reports empty blocks fell by ~99% (roughly 200/day to ~2/day) and the network sustained multiple 5,000 transactions-per-second bursts. (theblock.co) Azul also consolidates the stack: base-reth-node becomes the sole execution client and Base says it’s aligning with Ethereum’s Osaka execution-layer spec to streamline development. (blog.base.dev) Base says every on-chain component and proof system in Azul underwent internal and external audits, and it's running an Immunefi bug-bounty from April 21 to May 4 with a $250,000 maximum reward. (blog.base.dev) Observers frame Azul as a clear sign Base is maturing into a chain with its own roadmap — moving beyond the OP Stack toward independent upgrades and Stage 2 decentralization goals. (thedefiant.io) Some analysts warn trade-offs remain: permissioned TEE components and sequencer control can still pose centralization risks even as multiproofs reduce single-point failure modes. (chainscorelabs.com) Base’s blog headline remains the last word: "Azul makes Base more secure, more performant, and easier to build on," with mainnet activation scheduled for May 13, 2026 and the Immunefi contest running through May 4. (blog.base.dev)