BNB Chain has outlined plans for a new high-performance Layer 1 blockchain that will operate alongside BNB Smart Chain, with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao responding to the proposal’s decision to retain BNB as its native token.
Summary
- BNB Chain plans a separate Layer 1 operating alongside BSC without introducing another cryptocurrency.
- The proposed network targets 200-millisecond blocks and transaction pre-confirmation in approximately 20 milliseconds.
- An internal multi-validator devnet is running, with public testing planned before an early 2027 mainnet launch.
- BNB will continue serving as the network’s gas, staking, and governance asset through a native bridge.
According to BNB Chain’s updated technical documentation, published on October 22, the proposed network is being developed as a separate EVM-compatible blockchain designed for applications requiring faster transaction processing and predictable execution.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, responded to discussion surrounding the project with the phrase, “Multiple chains, one coins,” drawing attention to its plan to operate without issuing a separate token.
The project, currently identified as New L1, has not received an official name. Its initial development is underway, although public access and a mainnet launch remain pending.
BNB Chain plans another Layer 1 without replacing BSC
Under the proposed architecture, BNB Smart Chain will continue supporting its existing decentralized finance applications, trading platforms, and other services while the new network handles transactions requiring lower latency.
The two blockchains will communicate through a native bridge that is still under development. BNB will remain the principal asset across both networks, covering transaction fees and staking.
BNB Chain’s documentation explains that users will be able to transfer BNB from BSC to the new network. Staked tokens will generate govBNB at a one-to-one ratio, providing non-transferable voting rights through the project’s governance system.
The arrangement differs from launching an independent blockchain with its own cryptocurrency. However, operating multiple chains with a shared asset does not automatically guarantee that network activity or token demand will increase.
The proposal follows BNB Chain’s previous work on improving the performance of its existing infrastructure.
As crypto.news previously reported in January, the network’s 2026 roadmap targeted transaction throughput of 20,000 per second and faster finality using parallel execution and Rust-based infrastructure.
New BNB Chain L1 targets 200-millisecond blocks
Speed is central to the proposed design, which targets block production every 200 milliseconds and transaction pre-confirmation in approximately 20 milliseconds.
Its enhanced Parlia consensus mechanism uses BLS voting to target transaction-order finality in under one second. However, the documentation distinguishes preliminary transaction confirmation from final settlement.
Pre-confirmations provide an indication that a transaction is likely to be included, but they can still be revoked before finalization. Applications handling irreversible transfers must wait for execution finality.
The blockchain separates transaction ordering from execution, allowing validators to continue agreeing on blocks without waiting for every transaction to finish processing.
BNB Chain is introducing a Multi-Lane mechanism that reserves processing capacity for particular transaction classes. The proposed system covers high-frequency trading, decentralized order books, payments, and other applications requiring predictable transaction handling.
Developers will retain compatibility with existing Solidity smart contracts, although certain Ethereum RPC methods and transaction types will not be supported.
The architecture includes native account abstraction and optional privacy features. Account abstraction supports sponsored transaction fees and batched operations, while the privacy system uses a shielded pool for confidential transfers.
BNB Chain expands its focus on financial applications
The new proposal follows growing activity across tokenized financial products and decentralized trading applications.
An October 23 tokenized-equities market report found that BNB Chain processed approximately $25.6 billion in tokenized stock transactions during the third quarter.
The network held around $1.13 billion in tokenized equity supply at quarter-end, with roughly 1.8 million holders. Its transaction count reached 1.51 billion during the quarter, while network revenue climbed 54% to $54.2 million.
Developers have already introduced several performance changes on the existing chain.
The August 25 Pasteur hard fork changed BSC’s block-building process and strengthened validator authorization and bridge verification.
Controlled testing showed transaction throughput improving from 1,237 to 2,324 transactions per second, although those results did not establish equivalent gains under live network conditions.
The proposed New L1 introduces a separate architecture instead of relying entirely on further upgrades to BSC.
New L1 testnet planned for late 2026
BNB Chain’s documentation confirms that the project currently operates through an internal multi-validator development network with block production and end-to-end finality.
A public testnet is planned for the end of 2026, followed by a mainnet launch targeted for early 2027. Neither launch has taken place, and the development schedule remains subject to change.
Several technical features require further work. The native bridge has not been completed, while the privacy system still needs security audits and additional trusted-setup work before production use.
The documentation warns that the current shielded pool should not be used with real funds. Public network endpoints will be published once an appropriate testing environment becomes available.
Meanwhile, BNB traded at around $740 at press time, up over 2% in the past 7 days, according to crypto.news market data.