Coinbase hires Akhil BVS to enhance builder support at Base

Coinbase just added another builder-focused hire to its roster. Akhil BVS, a Bangalore-based community leader and entrepreneur, announced on September 11 that he’s joining the exchange to help scale builder efforts at Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer-2 network. Who is Akhil BVS He previously co-founded Inner Circle and has mentored over 1,000 individuals in launching side projects. Beyond mentorship, BVS has helped more than 200 artists figure out how to monetize their work on-chain. He also brings product leadership experience from the music space, having worked on an app that accumulated over 10 million plays. Base’s India strategy takes shape Back in October 2024, Coinbase brought on Saumya Saxena to lead Base’s efforts targeting Indian builders specifically. The company has historically directed over $1M towards supporting Indian developers. Why builder support matters for Layer-2 economics Base launched in 2023 and has positioned itself as a low-cost, user-friendly platform for decentralized applications. Its advantage is the Coinbase brand and distribution channel, essentially a built-in onramp for the exchange’s tens of millions of users. For Coinbase shareholders and the bro...