Emre Yumlu 
Jesse Pollak, the developer of Ethereum-based Layer-2 network Base, has apologized after receiving heavy criticism over a controversial image he shared on social media. The image, which was a GIF referencing Base’s slogan “Base is for everyone,” featured a rotating sequence of words including “pimping,” “squirting,” “art,” “minting,” and “ideas.” The term “pimping” in particular sparked backlash within the crypto community.
On April 18, Pollak addressed the situation on X, saying, “It was just one phrase among many, but I recognize it was a mistake and I apologize.” He emphasized that the artwork was not created by him, yet acknowledged that sharing it was the wrong decision.
“I Appreciate Provocative Art, But I Have a Responsibility”
Pollak stated that while he supports provocative artistic expression, he must be more careful about the messages he amplifies — especially when they appear to be coming directly from him. He admitted that the phrase “Base is for pimping” caused a misunderstanding and took responsibility for that.
This statement came at a time when several voices from the crypto industry criticized Pollak’s post. Some users argued that such content damages not only the reputation of Base but also the broader crypto ecosystem.
“This Hurts Not Only Base, But All of Crypto”
Crypto analyst David Z. Morris noted that the issue affects more than just one platform. “This isn’t about ‘sex work’ — the term pimping fundamentally refers to exploitation. For a sector that aims to show open finance as a force for social good, this is a serious misstep,” he stated.
Another user commented, “This isn’t creative or boundary-pushing. It’s just a PR disaster.”
Some Also Showed Support
Despite the backlash, some community members voiced their support for Pollak. Crypto content creator Zuri said, “We all make mistakes. What matters is how we learn from them.” Another user added, “This is what leadership looks like. I respect the honesty.”
Base Recently Faced Another Controversy Over a Memecoin Post
Just days prior, Base was once again in the spotlight after its official social media account shared a link to a memecoin created on the Zora platform, along with the tagline “Base is for everyone.” The token quickly reached a market cap of $17.1 million within its first hour — only to crash by nearly 90% within 20 minutes, dropping to around $1.9 million.
Shortly afterward, Base clarified that it had no involvement with the token, stating:
“Base has not launched a token. This content was posted on Zora, which automatically tokenizes posts.”
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