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- BNB Chain has finally reduced the block time on the opBNB testnet and the BSC to 0.5 seconds and 1.5 seconds respectively, in a historic upgrade.
- Another upgrade, dubbed Maxwell, is expected in June and could set the network to a significant speed and further improvement.
BNB Chain just completed one of its most important upgrades since inception, significantly reducing the block time to 1.5 seconds to improve transaction speed and network efficiency. Named the Lorentz hard fork upgrade, this technical adjustment lays the foundation for subsequent upgrades to redefine the network and compete with other established chains.
According to the official report, the objective was to present users, specifically builders, and validators, with a more responsive and faster chain. Today, the block time on the opBNB testnet is 0.5 seconds. It will officially be launched on the main net on April 21. Meanwhile, the main net launch for the BSC has been scheduled for April 29.
In an X thread, BNB Chain advised node operators and developers to prepare accordingly after highlighting that the upgrade is not optional. However, node operators on opBNB are required to use a provided GitHub link to upgrade their platforms while those on the BSC are expected to download the mainnet hard fork release.
Despite the changes introduced by this technical upgrade, its roadmap suggests that the network performance is likely not good enough. According to BNB Chain, another upgrade called Maxwell will occur in June. This would ensure that the network’s block time is moved to 0.75 seconds.
Meanwhile, BNB Chain has already completed an upgrade dubbed Pascal in March to enhance the Ethereum-Virtual Machine (EVM), improve user experience, and enhance gasless transactions. As featured in our recent coverage, this prepared the grounds for the Lorentz and the Maxwell hard fork.
Previous Discussion on the BNB Chain Roadmap
In February 2025, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) disclosed that there is so much to build in the BNB Chain ecosystem this year. As indicated in our earlier post, he hinted that BNB Chain seeks to achieve several objectives in 2024, including a gasless transaction, smart wallet, sub-second finality, etc.
Above all, CZ highlighted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) features could be integrated to improve the efficiency of Web3. With this, he disclosed the possible introduction of AI Agent and AI Code Copilot.
BNB Chain has been one of the most active chains this year, with $170.2 million in fees generated in the first quarter of the year. In the same period last year, $119.34 million in fees was generated.
Binance coin (BNB) has also shown resilience in the recent broad market meltdown, maintaining its level above $500 throughout the last 30 days. According to our market data, BNB has recorded 4.5% and 1% gains on its monthly and daily chart, respectively, and is now trading at $583.
Its Relative Strength Index (RSI) also shows a reading of 44.8 after bouncing back from the oversold territory of 34 and facing rejection at the neutral level of 50. Our recent analysis suggests that a possible ETF approval could send BNB above its previous high of $790.
