Article Summary

**AWS Outage Exposes Web3 Decentralization Myth as Base Network Shows 'Zero Balance' Glitch** A major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage revealed critical vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency infrastructure, triggering widespread "zero balance" display errors across Coinbase's Base blockchain network. The incident highlights Web3's continued dependence on centralized cloud services, contradicting the fundamental decentralization principles of blockchain technology. The AWS disruption affected multiple DeFi platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges, causing panic among users who temporarily saw their digital asset balances disappear. While funds remained secure, the glitch exposed how leading blockchain networks still rely heavily on traditional cloud infrastructure rather than truly decentralized systems. This fragility raises serious questions about the cryptocurrency industry's decentralization claims. Major blockchain projects, including Ethereum Layer 2 solutions like Base, depend on centralized services for critical operations, creating single points of failure that can impact millions of users. The incident underscores the need for genuine infrastructure decentralization in DeFi and highlights ongoing challenges facing blockchain adoption. As cryptocurrency markets mature, addressing these centralization vulnerabilities becomes crucial for maintaining user trust and achieving Web3's promised autonomy from traditional systems.