Integrating Base Paymaster for Gasless Transactions in a Wagmi Project

In today’s evolving blockchain ecosystem, user experience is paramount. One of the biggest barriers to mainstream adoption is the complexity and cost of gas fees. Enter gasless transactions — a powerful solution that allows users to interact with decentralized applications (dApps) without paying gas. This guide walks you through integrating Base Paymaster into an existing Wagmi project, enabling seamless, gas-free onchain actions like NFT minting, token transfers, and more.

By leveraging the Coinbase Developer Platform (CDP) and Wagmi’s experimental hooks, you can sponsor transaction fees for your users, significantly lowering entry friction. Whether you're building on Base or Base Sepolia, this integration enhances accessibility while maintaining full Ethereum compatibility.

Step 1: Set Up Your Coinbase Developer Platform (CDP) Account

To begin, you’ll need access to the Coinbase Developer Platform, which provides the infrastructure for paymaster and bundler services.

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If you don’t already have an account, sign up for CDP. Existing users can log in directly to the CDP portal.

Retrieve Your Paymaster & Bundler Endpoint

Once logged in:

1. Navigate to Onchain Tools > Paymaster.
2. Switch to the Configuration tab.
3. Select your target network: Base (mainnet) or Base Sepolia (testnet).
4. Copy the RPC URL listed under Paymaster & Bundler endpoint.

This endpoint enables your dApp to route transactions through Coinbase’s paymaster service. For security and scalability in production environments, consider setting up a proxy service instead of exposing the raw URL.

Store the endpoint securely by adding it to your .env file:

NEXT_PUBLIC_CDP_PAYMASTER=https://api.developer.coinbase.com/rpc/v1/base/{your-project-id}

Whitelist Smart Contracts

Security is critical when sponsoring transactions. The CDP requires you to explicitly whitelist the smart contracts your dApp will interact with.

In the Contract allowlist section:

• Add the contract address (e.g., your NFT minting contract).
• Assign a descriptive name (e.g., "NFT Collection V1").
• Specify the exact functions users can call (e.g., mintTo(address)).

Click Add to finalize each entry. Only whitelisted contracts and functions will be eligible for gasless execution.

Step 2: Configure Wagmi for Base Network Support

Your frontend must recognize the Base network and support compatible wallets. Update your wagmi.ts configuration accordingly.

Here’s how to configure Wagmi with Base chain support and essential connectors:

import { http, cookieStorage, createConfig, createStorage } from 'wagmi';
import { base } from 'wagmi/chains';
import { coinbaseWallet, injected, walletConnect } from 'wagmi/connectors';

export function getConfig() {
 return createConfig({
 chains: [base],
 connectors: [
 injected(),
 coinbaseWallet(),
 walletConnect({ projectId: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_WC_PROJECT_ID }),
 ],
 storage: createStorage({
 storage: cookieStorage,
 }),
 ssr: true,
 transports: {
 [base.id]: http(),
 },
 });
}

declare module 'wagmi' {
 interface Register {
 config: ReturnType<typeof getConfig>;
 }
}

This setup ensures compatibility with:

• Injected wallets (e.g., MetaMask)
• Coinbase Wallet
• WalletConnect

It also enables server-side rendering (SSR) support and proper chain transport via HTTP.

Step 3: Implement Gasless Onchain Actions Using Wagmi Hooks

Wagmi offers experimental hooks that unlock advanced account abstraction features — including paymaster integration.

Key Hooks Used:

• useCapabilities: Detects whether the connected wallet supports gasless transactions via a paymaster.
• useWriteContracts: Executes batched write operations with optional capabilities like fee sponsorship.

Let’s implement a simple NFT minting page where users can mint without paying gas.

Example: mint/page.tsx

'use client';
import { useAccount, useConnect, useDisconnect } from 'wagmi';
import { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
import { coinbaseWallet } from 'wagmi/connectors';
import { abi, contractAddress } from '../utils';
import { useCapabilities, useWriteContracts } from 'wagmi/experimental';

export default function MintPage() {
 const { address, isConnected } = useAccount();
 const { connect } = useConnect();
 const { disconnect } = useDisconnect();
 const [isMinting, setIsMinting] = useState(false);

 const { writeContracts } = useWriteContracts({
 mutation: { onSuccess: () => console.log('Mint successful') },
 });

 const handleMint = async () => {
 setIsMinting(true);
 try {
 writeContracts({
 contracts: [
 {
 address: contractAddress,
 abi,
 functionName: 'mintTo',
 args: [address],
 },
 ],
 capabilities,
 });
 } catch (error) {
 console.error('Minting failed:', error);
 } finally {
 setIsMinting(false);
 }
 };

 const { data: availableCapabilities } = useCapabilities({
 account: address,
 });

 const capabilities = useMemo(() => {
 if (!availableCapabilities || !address) return {};
 const capabilitiesForChain = availableCapabilities[address.chainId];
 if (
 capabilitiesForChain?.paymasterService?.supported
 ) {
 return {
 paymasterService: {
 url: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_CDP_PAYMASTER!, // Use env var
 },
 };
 }
 return {};
 }, [availableCapabilities, address]);

 return (
 <div>
 <p>{isConnected ? `Connected wallet: ${address}` : 'No wallet connected'}</p>
 <button onClick={() => connect({ connector: coinbaseWallet() })}>
 {isMinting ? 'Minting...' : isConnected ? 'Mint NFT' : 'Connect Wallet'}
 </button>
 {isConnected && <button onClick={() => disconnect()}>Disconnect</button>}
 </div>
 );
}

This component:

• Connects via Coinbase Wallet or other injected providers.
• Checks for paymaster capability at runtime.
• Executes a gasless mintTo call using the whitelisted contract.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are gasless transactions?
A: Gasless transactions allow users to perform onchain actions without paying gas fees. Instead, developers or sponsors cover the cost using a paymaster service like Coinbase CDP.

Q: Is account abstraction required for this setup?
A: While full account abstraction isn't mandatory, these features rely on ERC-4337-compatible infrastructure. Wallets like Coinbase Wallet support this natively.

Q: Can I use Base Paymaster on other networks?
A: Currently, Base Paymaster is optimized for the Base and Base Sepolia networks. Similar setups may work on other EVM chains with compatible bundlers.

Q: How do I monitor sponsored transaction costs?
A: The CDP dashboard provides detailed analytics on transaction volume, gas spent, and spending trends over time — all accessible under the Paymaster section.

Q: Are there risks in whitelisting contracts?
A: Yes. Only whitelist verified contracts with necessary functions. Malicious or vulnerable contracts could lead to unintended spending.

Q: Can I switch paymasters later?
A: Absolutely. The useCapabilities hook dynamically detects available services, allowing flexibility across different paymasters and networks.

Final Thoughts

Integrating Base Paymaster into a Wagmi-based dApp removes one of the most significant UX hurdles in Web3 — gas fees. By combining Coinbase’s robust developer tools with Wagmi’s modern React hooks, you empower users to engage with your platform effortlessly.

As Web3 continues to evolve, features like gasless interactions, smart accounts, and sponsored transactions will become standard expectations. Getting ahead now ensures your project remains competitive, accessible, and user-first.

👉 Start building frictionless Web3 experiences today with advanced transaction tools.