Solana Developers Accuse Base of Siphoning Capital Instead of Collaboration

• Is the Base-Solana Bridge a Trojan Horse?
• The "Healthy Competition" Debate Turns Toxic
• Nine Months of "Outreach" or Radio Silence?
• What’s in It for Solana? A Raw Deal or Hidden Upside?
• Vampire Attack or Growth Hack? The Data Doesn’t Lie
• Can These Chains Coexist or Is War Inevitable?
• FAQs: The Base-Solana Bridge Controversy

The rivalry between solana and Base has escalated with the launch of the Base-Solana bridge in December 2025. While Base frames it as a bid for interoperability, Solana’s ecosystem leaders, including Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko ("Toly"), argue it’s a veiled vampire attack. This article breaks down the clash, analyzes the bridge’s economic implications, and explores whether it’s a zero-sum game or a missed collaboration opportunity.

Is the Base-Solana Bridge a Trojan Horse?

The December 4th launch of Base’s Solana bridge, powered by chainlink CCIP and Coinbase, ignited a firestorm. While Base’s Jesse Pollak pitched it as a "bidirectional gateway," Solana builders like DRiP founder Vibhu Norby called it a "capital siphon." Screenshots of Aerodrome’s Alex Cutler boasting at Basecamp about "overthrowing Solana" fueled suspicions. Norby’s X post cut deep: "These aren’t partners—if Base had its way, Solana wouldn’t exist."

The "Healthy Competition" Debate Turns Toxic

Pollak countered that Base built the bridge so "Solana deserves access to Base’s economy," but Solana’s Superteam member Akshay BD shot back: "Calling it bidirectional doesn’t mask the lopsided economics." Data from CoinMarketCap shows Solana’s meme coin and NFT trading volume ($2.8B monthly) dwarfs Base’s ($420M), making Solana the juicier target for liquidity extraction. Toly’s sardonic suggestion—"Migrate Base apps to Solana so they actually benefit our chain"—highlighted the asymmetry.

Nine Months of "Outreach" or Radio Silence?

Pollak claims Base engaged Solana’s ecosystem since May 2025, but Solana Foundation’s marketing team confirmed zero coordination. Only fringe projects like Trencher collaborated, while major players felt blindsided. "Posting a repo isn’t partnership—it’s a PR stunt," Norby tweeted. The BTCC research team notes this mirrors past vampire attacks where bridges favored the initiating chain’s fee capture.

What’s in It for Solana? A Raw Deal or Hidden Upside?

Solana’s edge—its blistering throughput and retail adoption—could backfire if the bridge becomes a one-way valve. TradingView charts show SOL’s price dipped 4.2% post-launch amid capital outflow fears. For true reciprocity, Base must incentivize Solana execution (e.g., via shared fee splits) or Base-native apps using Solana liquidity pools. Otherwise, warns Yakovenko, "We’re just their gas station."

Vampire Attack or Growth Hack? The Data Doesn’t Lie

Early metrics from Dune Analytics reveal 78% of bridged assets flowed from Solana to Base in the first week, mostly meme coins. Base’s top apps—Zora and Aerodrome—now offer SOL trading but retain all fee revenue. "It’s textbook value extraction," argues Akshay. Pollak insists equilibrium will come, but with Base’s TVL up 19% since launch (DefiLlama), Solana’s community isn’t holding its breath.

Can These Chains Coexist or Is War Inevitable?

History favors pragmatism: ethereum and Solana bridged after similar spats. Pollak’s "coopetition" pitch might prevail if Base integrates Solana validators or shares bridge fees. But with Cutler’s "overthrow" rhetoric still echoing, trust is scarce. As one BTCC analyst quipped, "In crypto, bridges either connect islands or burn them down."

FAQs: The Base-Solana Bridge Controversy

Why are Solana developers calling Base’s bridge a vampire attack?

They allege the bridge’s design primarily extracts Solana’s liquidity (especially meme coins and NFTs) to boost Base’s TVL without reciprocal value flow, evidenced by one-sided volume metrics.

Did Base collaborate with Solana before launching the bridge?

Base claims nine months of outreach, but Solana Foundation confirms no formal coordination—only informal talks with Yakovenko and selective project onboarding.

How could this bridge actually benefit Solana?

If Base apps adopt Solana execution layers or share bridge fees, it could become bidirectional. Currently, 82% of bridged value stays on Base (Dune Analytics).