If you’ve ever taken part in a round on Flip Hop, you’ve probably noticed that payouts are made in USDC and that transactions can be verified publicly. But what makes that possible?
The answer lies in the infrastructure that supports the platform: the Base blockchain. This post explains what Base is, how it works, and why Flip Hop chose it as its technological foundation.
What a Blockchain Is — in Simple Terms
A blockchain is a public, shared, and immutable database. Instead of information being kept on a server controlled by a single company, it’s recorded across a network of computers around the world.
Anyone can look up this record — and no one can alter it once it’s written. There’s no “edit” or “delete” button. What was recorded stays recorded.
| In the context of Flip Hop, this means that every round, every ticket bought, and every prize payout is recorded permanently. The result of a round cannot be changed after it happens — not even by the platform’s team. |
What Base Is
Base is a blockchain developed by Coinbase — one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms in the world, founded in 2012 and publicly listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange since 2021.
Technically, Base is a Layer 2 built on top of Ethereum. This means it inherits the security and decentralization of Ethereum — the second-largest blockchain in the world — but operates with much lower transaction costs and far greater speed.
| What is a Layer 2? Imagine a congested main highway (Ethereum). A Layer 2 is like an express lane built alongside it, using the same security infrastructure as the main highway but allowing faster and cheaper traffic. Transactions happen on the express lane (Base), but the final security comes from the main highway (Ethereum). |
| Base — technical overview | |
| What it is | Public Layer 2 blockchain |
| Developed by | Coinbase (listed on the Nasdaq) |
| Built on | Ethereum — inherited security |
| Launch | August 2023 |
| Native currency | ETH (network fees) |
| Flip Hop’s main token | USDC — native stablecoin on Base |
| Public explorer | basescan.org |
| Code | Open — github.com/base-org |
Why Flip Hop Uses Base — 5 Concrete Reasons
Flip Hop didn’t choose Base by chance. Each reason below has a direct impact on the experience of those who take part in the rounds.
| 1 | Full transparency — any transaction is verifiable by anyone The Flip Hop contract is at: basescan.org — 0x9F03…DB18 |
| 2 | No human intervention in the outcome Because the round logic runs on a smart contract on Base, no person — not even the Flip Hop team — can interfere with the result. The drawing happens automatically, according to the rules programmed into the contract, using Chainlink VRF to guarantee verifiable randomness. The code is the referee. |
| 3 | Low fees that don’t eat into the prize Base operates with much lower transaction fees compared to older blockchains like the Ethereum mainnet. In rounds where tickets cost $5, it’s essential that network fees be fractions of a cent — not dollars. On Base, a typical transaction costs less than $0.01, which makes the Flip Hop model economically viable for any pool size. |
| 4 | Native USDC — a stable currency, with no risk of devaluation USDC — the currency Flip Hop uses for tickets, prizes, and commissions — was developed by Circle and runs natively on Base. 1 USDC is always roughly $1. This ensures that the prize shown on screen when you buy a ticket is the same prize the winner receives — with no variation from market swings. |
| 5 | Mature infrastructure with institutional backing Base is developed and maintained by Coinbase, a regulated public company with more than a decade of operation. This brings a level of infrastructure maturity, security, and operational continuity that smaller blockchains rarely offer. For a global platform like Flip Hop, consistent availability is non-negotiable — the round closes at 00:00 UTC every day, regardless of time zone or number of participants. |
What This Means in Practice for You
From the perspective of someone using Flip Hop, Base operates completely invisibly. You don’t need to understand blockchain to take part in a round — you can sign in with a Google account, deposit with a credit card, and withdraw as usual.
But knowing that Base is underneath means three concrete things:
- You can verify any transaction on your own — without relying on the platform to confirm anything
- The result of each round is permanent and immutable — no company can edit the history
- Your USDC funds exist on the blockchain — not in a private database that can be erased or frozen
| How to verify right now Go to basescan.org and search for the contract address: 0x9F03D710B6B258A28552dB5A87CB08Eb4881DB18 You’ll see: all ticket purchases (Buy Tickets), prizes claimed (Claim Prize), affiliate commissions (Claim Affiliate), and the contract’s current USDC balance — all public, in real time, without needing to log in to anything. |
Base vs. Other Blockchains — Why Not Another Network?
There are dozens of blockchains on the market. The choice of Base wasn’t random — some alternatives were ruled out for specific reasons:
- Ethereum mainnet: maximum security, but fees of $5–$50 per transaction — not viable for $5 tickets
- Solana: fast and cheap, but a history of outages and a less mature USDC ecosystem at the time Flip Hop was developed
- Smaller blockchains: low fees, but limited USDC liquidity, less recognition, and less battle-tested infrastructure
- Base: combines Ethereum’s security, fees below $0.01, native USDC, and Coinbase’s institutional backing
| Base is the choice that balances the three factors that matter to Flip Hop: viable operating cost, security inherited from Ethereum, and a mature USDC ecosystem. |
The Infrastructure Is Part of the Product
At Flip Hop, the choice of blockchain isn’t a behind-the-scenes technical detail — it’s part of what ensures the platform works as promised. Base allows every round to be verifiable, every payout to be traceable, and every rule to be executed automatically, with no human intermediary.
You don’t need to trust the company. You can verify it on the network.