At the debut of the creator-coin “JESSE” on the Base network, two automated operators captured $1.327.300 in profits through a high-frequency maneuver that allowed them to seize roughly 26% of the token’s initial supply. The episode exposed technical weak points in Base’s block architecture and reignited the debate over fairness and protection mechanisms in token launches across Layer-2 chains.

Same-block sniping and the vulnerabilities in Base’s micro-block design

The capture occurred through a technique known as same-block sniping, where bots detect the deployment transaction inside an early micro-block and then fire high-priority buy orders in subsequent micro-blocks within the same two-second block. This approach is a front-running strategy that exploits intra-block visibility and ordering, giving automated operators an edge that regular users cannot match.

Sniper 1:

0x9F59Fa05A4aD952Ba90b101555fB5E2709C9d8bB

The first sniper purchased approximately 7.6% of supply for $191K, and tipped a $44.29K fee to the base sequencer.

They sold all of the supply and profited $619.61K. pic.twitter.com/X1WBXbBtJC

— Arkham (@arkham) November 20, 2025

In July, Base introduced a subdivision mechanism called “flashblocks”, splitting every two-second block into multiple 200-millisecond micro-blocks. Although intended to reduce latency and increase sequencing frequency, these micro-blocks also create more observation points that can be exploited by bots. One of the attackers even paid more than $44,000 in fees to guarantee priority inclusion.

The two operators ended up securing 26% of the entire initial supply, with one earning $707,700 and the other $619,600, totaling the $1.327.300 extraction.

This incident highlights a structural tension in Layer-2 networks: the pursuit of efficiency and lower latency can unintentionally open new extraction vectors, especially when fee-priority ordering becomes a commodity that can be purchased for advantage.

Ecosystem members also criticized the symbolic contradictions surrounding the launch, recalling that Jesse Pollak has repeatedly stated that “there are no plans for a Base token”, while Base simultaneously promotes memes and creator experiments. For many, the fact that technically privileged operators could extract value so easily undermines the idea of alignment between creators and their communities.

Ultimately, the debut of “JESSE” shows how efficiency-driven design decisions can unintentionally compromise fairness, especially in early-stage DeFi environments. The next major milestone will be whether Base implements changes to ordering policies, sequencer fees or launch rules to limit same-block advantages and create a more equitable environment for new issuances.