BNB Chain has finally deployed its much awaited Maxwell Hard Fork on its testnet. This deployment marks a significant milestone for the BNB chain as it aims to bolster speed, scalability and network security with this upgrade. The upgrade will also help the blockchain rival Ethereum and Solana.
With the Maxwell upgrade set to halve the block time to 0.75 seconds, it will fuel network efficiency. BNB enthusiasts are already optimistic as this ecosystem development could pump the price of the BNB token.
What is BNB Chain’s Maxwell Hard Fork?
As BNB Chain announced on X on May 26, the Maxwell Hard Fork is now deployed on the testnet. This means that developers can go ahead to test the much-anticipated network upgrade. The upgrade is set to bring a major boost to the BNB Smart Chain.
Maxwell HardFork Successfully Activated on BNB Chain Testnet✨
The Maxwell upgrade is now live on BNB Chain testnet, activated at block 5,255,2978.
Key Technical Specifications:
🔶Block time: 0.75 seconds
🔶Consecutive block production: 16 blocks
🔶Enhanced network scalability… pic.twitter.com/lG8VLUiUUR— BNB Chain (@BNBCHAIN) May 26, 2025
With the activation of the Maxwell Hard Fork, the BNB Chain is set to transition from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds block times. The halving of the block times shows BNB’s commitment to improving network responsiveness, validator performance and transaction speeds. These metrics are crucial in scaling developer and user experience on the chain.
Previously, the BNB chain has been running on the Lorentz Hard Fork. This upgrade reduced the block times from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds. However, the incoming upgrade to Maxwell Hard Fork means continuous upgrade for BNB Chain.
Now activated at block 5,255,2978, the upgrade is named after James Clerk Maxwell – a physicist that unified magnetism and electricity. In a similar manner, it will unify the BNB Chain’s speed and stability. But as confirmed in the official communication, the Maxwell upgrade will go live on Mainnet on June 30, 2025.
Why the Maxwell Upgrade Matters for Users and Developers
BNB Chain’s Maxwell Hard Fork will run under three key proposals; the BEP-524, BEP-563, and BEP-564. Each of these proposals will play a key role in improving the ecosystem.
The BEP-524 will accelerate transaction confirmations, boost dApp responsiveness, and facilitate smoother DeFi and GameFi engagements. The BEP-563 will improve peer-to-peer (p2p) messaging between validators. This will allow for faster communication between blocks, reduce sync delays and promote stability in the validator network without sacrificing speed.
On the other hand, the BEP-564 will allow for requesting of multiple blocks in a single call and a return of all requested blocks in one response. In simple terms, this will enhance sync speeds across the network.
In conjunction, the three proposals under Maxwell upgrade will allow near instant transactions for users. Be it swaps, mints, or dApp interaction, all will be smoother. For developers, the low latency will offer new opportunities for dApps development.
BNB Chain Tops DEX Volume
Under the Lorentz Hard Fork, the BNB Chain is already turning heads. As per DefiLlama data, BNB ranks top amongst chains in terms of DEX Volume. Over the last 7 days, the chain has recorded a 151% surge in DEX volume, pushing it to $69.75 billion over the last 7 days.
BNB Smart Chain outperforms other chains including Solana, Ethereum and Base, amongst others. The chain also recorded 66.0% of the total DEX volume over the last 24 hours. This depicts nearly 6 times that of Solana in the second spot.
According to recent analytics by Chainspect, BNB Chain is also handling more transactions than Ethereum. The chain is handling 720,725 transactions, which is 12 times more than Ethereum’s 59,666 transactions.
However, in terms of finality and block time, BNB chain performs less than Ethereum. Chainspect data shows that BNB Chain block time is 87.47% less than Ethereum block time. On finality BNB Chain is 99.21% less than Ethereum.
BNB Token Records Modest Surge
On the day, the price of BNB token is modest. As per the data by CoinMarketCap, the BNB has surged by 1.08%. This pushes the price to $681.27 on the day.
Additionally, the trading volume of BNB is surging. The coin has recorded $1.73 billion in trading volume over the last 24 hours. This level means 11.61% surge in the same period.
With the Maxwell upgrade now on testnet, optimism around BNB token is rising. Upon going live on mainnet, this crucial upgrade could boost the price of BNB as the network gains more traction with higher transaction speeds, responsiveness and validator performance.
