Will Base's Flashblocks Update Beat Solana?

Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain of centralized crypto exchange Coinbase, has become twice as fast compared to Solana following a recent network upgrade, Base creator Jesse Pollak in a Feb. 28 X post.

On Feb. 27, Base unveiled several network upgrades, including flashblocks, a technology based on Solana and Celestia’s architecture that introduces 200-millisecond preconfirmation blocks, making Base the fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

However, the idea that this development makes Base outright faster than Solana has sparked debate. While Pollak made this claim, critics were quick to push back.

Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz said the comparison is disingenuous as flashblocks are essentially a version of Solana's “shreds,” which break up blocks into smaller pieces for faster transmission.

Mumtaz said Solana’s blocktime of about 400ms does not reflect actual transaction propagation speed, which can be much faster at around 15-20ms in optimal cases. He added that Layer 2 pre-confirmations should not be compared to Layer 1 blocktime.

“If of course, they just called them [flashblocks] shreds like solana, then they are not faster,” Mertz said.

Crypto researcher who goes by 0xBreadGuy made a detailed thread comparing the two approaches, which aligns with Mumtaz’s post. According to his analysis, Solana has a shred time of about 15ms, which compares with Base’s 400ms flashblocktime. Meanwhile, Solana has 400ms block time, which compares with Base’s 2s blocktime. 

Flashblocks vs. Solana

Flashblocks reduce the time it takes for decentralized applications (dApps) to receive new chain data in the EVM environment, making transactions feel near-instant. Instead of waiting for an entire block to be produced, Flashblocks provide preconfirmation data roughly ten times faster than before.

But Solana operates differently. Unlike EVM-based blockchains, Solana’s Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) is designed for continuous block production. Transactions are broken into “shreds” and broadcast before a full block is finalized, allowing dApps to process updates with virtually no delay.

This difference is key. While Flashblocks make Base significantly more responsive within the EVM ecosystem, Solana’s fundamental architecture still gives it an edge in raw speed.

Base is 10x Faster

At ETHDenver, Base put Flashblocks to the test in a speed competition, claiming that Base is now 10x faster with Flashblocks. Six winners were announced in a Mar. 1 X post, further fueling the conversation about Base’s potential to challenge Solana. However, Flashblocks remain in the testnet phase, meaning the real-world impact is still uncertain.

“Base’s new Flashblocks feature is a big step forward for Ethereum Layer-2 solutions,” said Mena Theodorou, co-founder of Coinstash. “It represents a drastic reduction in transaction delays and improves MEV protection.”

Besides speed itself, Philipp Zentner, CEO of crypto liquidity aggregator Li.Fi said Solana’s robust user and developer community also make it tough to beat. “For years now, we've been hearing about this protocol or that protocol being a Solana killer, but it never comes to pass because of the robust developer community and engaged user base in the Solana ecosystem,” Zentner said.

Others acknowledge that Flashblocks are a major leap for Base, but stop short of calling it a Solana replacement.

Mena Theodorou, co-founder of Coinstash said Solana’s architecture will continue providing an edge.

“Solana’s monolithic design gives it distinct advantages,” he said. “Solana has parallel execution, low fees, and an ecosystem that has matured beyond just being a fast alternative, so Base’s innovation here isn’t going to be a ‘killing blow’ to Solana.”

Meanwhile, Mark Hiriart, Head of Sales at Zerocap, highlighted another key development in Solana’s pipeline: Firedancer.

“Looking ahead, Solana's Firedancer will theoretically push performance beyond 1 million TPS (as seen in testing), which would be a real game changer if they manage to pull it off,” he said. “I don’t think this is about one chain replacing another—it’s healthy competition driving innovation across the ecosystem, which is why we love crypto. The real impact won’t be clear until later this year when we start seeing real-life use cases and user-driven metrics.”