Yigit Taha OZTURK 
Jesse Pollak, creator of Ethereum Layer 2 network Base, apologized on April 18 after resharing a digital artwork featuring the phrase “Base is for pimping.”
Pollak stated that while he values provocative art, posting such a piece publicly was a mistake, especially considering his role and visibility in the crypto ecosystem.
Critics Slam the Message
The GIF in question rotated through words like “art”, “ideas”, and controversial ones like “pimping” and “squirting.”
Crypto figure Kristel wrote: “So we’re just casually platforming pimping now? This isn’t it.”
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Kanto Labs called it a “PR nightmare,” and David Z. Morris warned: “This hurts crypto’s image — especially when we’re trying to frame open finance as a social good.”
Pollak’s Apology Welcomed by Some
Despite the backlash, some praised Pollak for owning up.
“We all make mistakes, what matters is how we grow from them,” said Zuri.
David Hoffman of Bankless commented, “This is leadership.”
Others, like Kyle Reidhead, encouraged boldness: “Do and share whatever you want — no apology needed.”
Base Also Caught in Token Controversy
Just days prior, Base drew attention after posting about a memecoin on Zora using the slogan “Base is for everyone.”
The platform’s system automatically tokenized the content, which quickly hit a $17.1M market cap — then crashed to $1.9M in 20 minutes.
A Coinbase spokesperson clarified: “Base did not launch or sell any token. This is not an official Base token.”
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