The Free Basename Offer
When Basenames launched in August 2024, Base offered one free 5+ letter Basename registration (one year) to users who met certain criteria. The idea was to onboard the Coinbase and Base ecosystem without putting up a financial barrier.
That offer has not gone away. As of early 2026, free and discounted Basenames are still available if you qualify. But a few things have changed, and some criteria are harder to meet now than they were at launch.
Here is the current state:
Criteria That Still Work
Coinbase Verification (ID Verification) If you have completed identity verification with Coinbase, you qualify. This is the standard KYC process Coinbase requires for regulated activity. If you have ever verified your identity on Coinbase exchange, Coinbase Wallet with verification, or Coinbase One, this likely applies to you.
Check your eligibility at app.ens.domains or base.org/names before registering.
Coinbase One Verification Coinbase One subscribers with an active subscription and verification status qualify. The subscription is a paid Coinbase service, so this criteria requires spending money elsewhere — but if you already have Coinbase One for other reasons, the Basename is a benefit you may have missed.
BNS Name Owner If you hold a Base Name Service (BNS) name from basename.app, you qualify for a 4+ letter free Basename. BNS was an independent naming project that operated before Basenames launched; after the official Basenames launch, BNS paused operations and its holders received a discount as a recognition of early support.
Getting a BNS name now is not really a practical route — the project is inactive and the original registration period is long past.
Criteria That Were Easier at Launch
Buildathon Participant NFT This was an NFT given to participants in certain Base buildathons. If you participated in an eligible event, you received the NFT and the free Basename. This is not an ongoing program — if you did not participate when it was active, this route is closed.
Summer Pass Level 3 NFT The Onchain Summer Pass was a campaign from 2024. Level 3 holders qualified. This campaign has ended; existing holders retain their eligibility, but new Summer Pass NFTs at Level 3 are not being distributed.
base.eth NFT Holder If you hold a base.eth NFT (from the original base.eth ENS registration period), you qualify. These trade on secondary markets, so technically acquirable — but the NFTs have some market price, which changes the calculus from "free" to "discounted."
cb.id Username (acquired before August 9, 2024) If you registered a cb.id username before the cutoff date, you qualify. New cb.id registrations after that date do not qualify.
What the Discount Actually Covers
The free offer is one Basename (5+ letters) for one year, applied once per address. If you want to register a shorter name or register for multiple years, an equivalent discount of 0.001 ETH is applied toward the cost.
Discounts are one per address. If you meet multiple criteria, only the highest-value discount applies. There is no stacking.
After the free year expires, you pay the standard renewal fee ($2–5/year for a 5+ letter name).
Practical Check
If you have a Coinbase account and have completed identity verification, the most straightforward path is to go to base.org/names, connect your verified wallet, search for your preferred 5+ letter name, and see whether the discount is applied automatically at checkout.
The discount eligibility check is automatic. You do not need to claim anything in advance.
Before going to the official site, you can check whether your preferred name is even available using this tool. No wallet needed, no gas, just type the names and see the result instantly.