B20 vs ERC-20: What's the Difference?

ERC-20 defined how fungible tokens work on Ethereum and its L2s. B20 is Base's answer to the question: what if those features were built into the protocol itself?

ERC-20 in a nutshell

ERC-20 is a standard interface — a set of functions (transfer, approve, balanceOf, etc.) that every token must implement. Each token is a separate smart contract that developers write, test, and deploy. The standard is minimal by design, which means teams add access control, supply caps, pausing, and other features themselves, usually by pulling in OpenZeppelin libraries.

This approach works, but it has costs: auditing custom logic, paying gas to deploy a full contract, and trusting that whoever wrote the extensions did so correctly.

What B20 changes

B20 is not a library or a contract template — it is a precompile built into Base's execution environment. You call a single factory function on Base itself to create a token; there is no contract bytecode to deploy or audit for the core functionality.

When to use ERC-20

If you need to deploy on multiple EVM chains (not just Base), or need fully custom logic that goes beyond B20's feature set, a standard ERC-20 contract is the right choice. The existing tooling, audits, and integrations are unmatched.

When to use B20

If you are building on Base and want a token with roles, supply caps, pausing, and memos without writing and auditing any Solidity, B20 is the better choice. It costs less gas per transfer, requires no custom contract, and the core behaviour is maintained by Base itself.

B20 is especially well-suited for: loyalty tokens, stablecoins, in-game currencies, payment tokens, and any token that will primarily live on Base.

Are B20 tokens ERC-20 compatible?

Yes. B20 tokens implement the full ERC-20 interface. MetaMask, Uniswap, Aerodrome, block explorers, and any other tool that works with ERC-20 tokens will work with B20 tokens automatically.