When I was checking Twitter this morning, I originally got excited when I saw that COINBASE had announced that it was launching a new Ethereum L2 - named - and was celebrating by offering folks a chance to mint a commemorative NFT, mentioned as "freely mintable" in their Twitter thread. You know me - when I see the word 'free' from a source I usually consider mostly trustworthy, I head to check it out.
From Coinbase's press release
"Today, we’re excited to announce the testnet launch of Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) network offering a secure, low-cost, developer-friendly way for anyone, anywhere, to build decentralized apps or “dapps” onchain. Our goal with Base is to make onchain the next online and onboard 1B+ users into the cryptoeconomy. In pursuit of this goal, Base will serve as both a home for Coinbase’s onchain products and an open ecosystem where anyone can build."
So, why not? Let's get a free NFT to celebrate. I head to , easily connect my METAMASK wallet, get ready to "purchase" my NFT, and...
...mint fee? Ok, maybe I should have expected that. But even for less than two dollars, this NFT isn't looking to be worth it for me. Out of curiosity, I head back to the Twitter thread to see if any other users have mentioned it, and, uh...check out these gas fees on top of the surprise mint fee:
Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. It's your responsibility to do extensive research and consult a professional before investing.
If you're like me and were planning on checking out this "free" offer today, it may not be worth your time. We still have a few days that this offer will be running (it's running through Sunday at midnight EST), so it's *possible* gas fees may go lower. But even still - I'll still be here questioning if even the ~$1.78 minting price is worth it.
What about you? Have you / will you pick up this new NFT from Coinbase?
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Valdyr is a "crypto-curious" blogger living in Texas with her husband and their ancient dachshund, Henry. When she's not working as an audio/visual technician or stagehand, you'll frequently find her traveling, hiking or enjoying a good craft beer. For more reading, check out www.laurahofford.com/blog/
