BNB Chain is preparing a new EVM-compatible Layer 1 that will run alongside the main network, using BNB for gas, staking, and governance rather than issuing a new token.
Key Takeaways
- BNB Chain is building a second EVM L1 with 200ms blocks, using BNB for gas, staking, and governance.
- The new chain targets high-speed trading and payments, while BNB Chain keeps its existing DeFi ecosystem.
- A public testnet is due by the end of 2026, with mainnet planned for early 2027.
BNB Chain Keeps BNB at Center of New Layer 1 Expansion
The BNB Chain ecosystem is preparing a second Layer 1 built for speed, but it is not abandoning its original network (currently called BNB Smart Chain) or creating another token.
Updated documentation published Oct. 22 outlines a new high-performance L1, currently unnamed, that will operate in parallel with BNB Smart Chain and connect to it through a native bridge.
BNB will remain the shared economic asset across both networks, covering gas, staking, and governance. Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao summed up the strategy on X: “Multiple chains, one coin.”
New Chain Targets Trading and Payments
The new Layer 1 is being designed around workloads where latency matters.
Target specifications include roughly 200-millisecond block times, about 20-millisecond transaction pre-confirmations, and sub-second transaction ordering. That makes the architecture particularly relevant for high-frequency crypto trading, onchain order books, and real-time payments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in blockchain infrastructure. Networks are increasingly being optimized for specialized financial applications rather than forcing every workload onto one general-purpose chain.
BNB Smart Chain will continue supporting its existing DeFi and application ecosystem, while the new chain is intended to handle more demanding use cases.
BNB Remains the Economic Center
The decision not to launch a separate token is significant.
BNB will be used across both chains, meaning activity on the new network could theoretically increase demand for the same asset rather than fragmenting liquidity across two native tokens.
That structure also gives developers and users a more familiar transition path.
BNB was trading around $743 when details of the plan circulated, though the new architecture is still months away from public deployment and its eventual effect on token demand remains uncertain. The price of BNB peaked in Oct. 2025 at a price of about $1,370, which means it’s down about 46% in the last year.
For holders, the key question will be whether additional transaction activity translates into meaningful gas, staking, or governance usage.
Testnet Is Planned Before Year-End
Development is already underway. BNB Chain says an internal multi-validator devnet is operating now. A public testnet is planned for the end of 2026, with mainnet targeted for early 2027.
The timing comes as high-performance onchain trading venues such as Hyperliquid, Lighter, and Aster raise expectations around speed and execution quality.
That competitive pressure appears central to the new L1 thesis.
BNB Chain is no longer positioning itself only as a low-cost general-purpose network. It is building infrastructure aimed directly at the next generation of onchain finance.
The architecture may be new, but the economic bet is familiar: keep BNB at the center while giving demanding applications a faster place to run.