B20 is Base's native token standard — a superset of ERC-20 that ships as a precompile on the Base blockchain. Instead of deploying a smart contract, you call a built-in function on Base itself to create a token.

Why does B20 exist?

ERC-20 tokens are powerful but bare-bones. Every team that launches one has to write, audit, and deploy the same features over and over: role-based minting, supply caps, pausing, permit signatures, onchain payment memos. B20 bakes all of this in at the protocol level.

Because B20 runs as a precompile — part of Base's execution environment — it is cheaper and faster than an equivalent smart contract. Transfers cost less gas, and there is no contract bytecode to audit for the core functionality.

What B20 tokens can do

Role-based access control — DEFAULT_ADMIN_ROLE and MINT_ROLE are built in. No extra contract or library needed.
Supply caps — set a maximum total supply at creation; the protocol enforces it on every mint.
Pausing — freeze transfers, minting, or both with a single call.
Onchain memos — attach a 32-byte reference (e.g. an order ID) to any payment via transferWithMemo.
ERC-20 compatible — wallets, DEXes, and block explorers treat B20 tokens exactly like normal ERC-20 tokens.
Permit (EIP-2612) — gasless approvals built in.

Two variants: ASSET and STABLECOIN

B20 comes in two flavours:

ASSET

The general-purpose variant. You choose decimals between 6 and 18 at creation. Good for loyalty points, in-game currencies, governance tokens, or any token where you want full control over precision and batch operations.

STABLECOIN

Fixed at 6 decimals with an immutable currency code (e.g. USD) set permanently at creation. Designed for fiat-pegged tokens where integrators depend on a standardised decimal count and a currency identity that can never change after launch.

How to deploy a B20 token

You can deploy directly from your browser using deployb20.xyz — connect your wallet, fill in a name, symbol, and variant, and click Deploy. No Solidity, no CLI, no backend required.

Alternatively, use the B20 MCP server to deploy via Claude or any MCP-compatible AI assistant using natural language.

Where are B20 tokens live?

B20 is currently available on Base Sepolia (testnet) and coming to Base Mainnet. You can check live activation status anytime at deployb20.xyz.