Coinbase Onboards Iron Fish Team to Advance Privacy on Base

Coinbase has acquired the team behind Iron Fish, a privacy-centric blockchain project, to enhance privacy features on its layer 2 network, Base. However, the Iron Fish blockchain and its native token will continue to operate independently under the Iron Fish Foundation, remaining unaffiliated with Coinbase or Base.

The acquisition brings key Iron Fish developers, including CEO Elena Nadolinski and Jason Spafford, to Coinbase. They will lead a newly formed privacy-focused team within Base, working to develop innovative tools for on-chain transaction privacy.

Coinbase underscored that privacy is a fundamental necessity in blockchain, calling it a “core building block” rather than an optional feature. The company aims to integrate privacy protections directly into Base, equipping developers with tools to create secure and compliant decentralized applications.

Despite joining Coinbase, Nadolinski will retain her position on the Iron Fish Foundation’s board, ensuring the continuity and independence of the Iron Fish blockchain.