BNB Chain accelerates with 0.8s block speed
BNB Chain challenges Solana after speed upgrade
BNB Smart Chain (BSC) has announced the successful completion of its Maxwell hard fork, reducing average block times from 1.5 seconds to 0.8 seconds. This technological upgrade doubles the network speed and makes BSC the fastest EVM-compatible blockchain.
The update, activated on June 30 at 2:30 AM UTC, enables faster DeFi settlements, smoother NFT trades, and near-instant dApp gaming interactions—further intensifying competition with Solana and Arbitrum.
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Maxwell’s sub-second blocks are driven by three BEPs
- BEP-524 halves block intervals to 0.75s (actual average: 0.8s), providing near-instant finality.
- BEP-563 reworks validator messaging to reduce vote loss and sync delays at high speed.
- BEP-564 adds GetBlocksByRangeMsg and RangeBlocksMsg, cutting node sync time by 40%.
This three-pronged upgrade addresses the blockchain "speed trilemma"—throughput, security, and decentralization—by optimizing validator coordination without sacrificing reliability.
However, as Coinpaper reports, the upgrade comes with trade-offs: higher technical demands may drive out up to 5% of small validators.
Maxwell boosts speed, but does not reduce gas fees
Still, the strategic shift is clear: with sub-second blocks and full EVM compatibility, BSC is now a compelling choice for developers seeking Solana-like performance without giving up Ethereum’s tooling. That positions BNB Chain to ignite a wave of innovation in DeFi, gaming, and beyond—gaining a critical edge over Solana and Arbitrum.
As we wrote, Financial engine: How BNB powers Binance money-making empire
