In the wild kingdom of crypto, where cats, dogs, and frogs reign supreme, a new apex predatory has emerged: Brett. The charming memecoin featuring another Matt Furie creation has become the face of the Base chain, the latest project from Coinbase that promises to usher in a new era of crypto adoption. Brett has reached a $1 billion market cap in just four months, a truly staggering achievement.

Brett, much like its meme coin predecessors, has found a special place in the hearts (and wallets) of crypto enthusiasts. Its rapid ascent to memecoin stardom is not only a testament to the power of internet culture but also a glaring reminder that even in the decentralized world of crypto, centralization can still have a heavy hand. You see, Brett owes a lot of its success to being the poster child for the Base chain, Coinbase’s attempt at bringing more normies into the crypto fold.

Base is an overly centralized chain owned by Coinbase, a publicly traded company with big VC backing. In many ways, it's the antithesis of why crypto was created in the first place. Decentralization? Not here. Base is all about control, and Coinbase is all about making money and serving suits. They couldn't care less about financial sovereignty for average joes, but hey, people love money. And Brett’s billion-dollar market cap proves that when there’s a buck to be made, principles can take a back seat.

For many, the promise of onboarding millions of new users into crypto is enough to overlook the centralized nature of Base. After all, it’s easier to explain Brett to your grandma than the intricacies of Ethereum scaling solutions. Plus, with Brett’s seamless integration into the Seamless Protocol (see what they did there?), it’s hard not to get caught up in the hype.

So, while Brett might be the new darling of the meme coin scene, let’s not forget who’s pulling the strings. Coinbase, with its iron grip on the Base chain, is positioning itself as the gatekeeper of the next crypto wave. Whether you’re here for the tech or just for the memes, remember: the more control Coinbase gets, the less we have, but as long as Brett keeps climbing you won't hear Base maxis complaining.