Coinbase has launched a new mobile app called Base App, its most ambitious effort yet to broaden its appeal beyond crypto trading. 

The U.S. House of Representatives has cleared the way for three key crypto bills to advance after a group of Republican lawmakers forced a record-breaking nine-hour delay over demands for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) ban.

Pakistan and El Salvador have formally established diplomatic ties, placing cryptocurrency collaboration at the heart of their new relationship.

Top stories in the Crypto Roundup today:

• Coinbase Launches ‘Super App’ Powered by Base
• U.S. House Advances Crypto Bills After Nine-Hour Standoff Over CBDC Ban
• Pakistan and El Salvador Forge Crypto-Focused Alliance

Coinbase Launches ‘Super App’ Powered by Base

Coinbase has launched a new mobile app called Base App, its most ambitious effort yet to broaden its appeal beyond crypto trading. 

The company is replacing its existing Coinbase Wallet with a consumer-facing “super app” that blends messaging, payments, trading and social features, all powered by USDC and Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain, Base.

The move positions Coinbase to tap into a global audience that may not be interested in buying tokens but could still engage in what the company calls the “on-chain economy.” 

The app runs entirely on Base, which settles transactions in under a second for less than a penny.

Base App offers tools familiar to users of platforms like WeChat or Alipay in China, apps that have long bundled payments, social media, and third-party services into one. 

Key features include Base Pay, a 1-click USDC checkout option co-developed with Shopify, now available to thousands of merchants and set to expand to physical stores by year-end. A new identity layer called Base Account and fee-free USDC transfers within chat aim to attract creators and everyday users alike. 

Coinbase will fund creator rewards inside the app to encourage adoption.

U.S. House Advances Crypto Bills After Nine-Hour Standoff Over CBDC Ban

The U.S. House of Representatives has cleared the way for three key crypto bills to advance after a group of Republican lawmakers forced a record-breaking nine-hour delay over demands for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) ban.

The procedural vote, the longest in House history, ended late Wednesday with a 217-212 decision in favor of bringing the bills to the floor. 

The impasse broke when Republican leaders agreed to move the CBDC ban into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a must-pass piece of legislation that funds the military.

The three bills include the CLARITY Act, which outlines a regulatory framework for digital assets; the GENIUS Act, which would govern stablecoin use and is backed by former President Donald Trump; and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act, a bill to block the issuance of a digital dollar.

Pakistan and El Salvador Forge Crypto-Focused Alliance

Pakistan and El Salvador have formally established diplomatic ties, placing cryptocurrency collaboration at the heart of their new relationship.

The agreement follows a meeting between Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan’s special assistant on crypto and blockchain, and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador. 

The two sides discussed a knowledge-sharing partnership focused on crypto infrastructure and regulation.

Pakistan has moved to embrace the sector, creating the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority in May and planning a national BTC reserve. Officials have also designated 2,000 megawatts of energy for bitcoin mining.

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