BNB Chain is developing a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain that will operate alongside BNB Smart Chain (BSC), targeting 200-millisecond block times and faster transaction processing while retaining BNB as the network's native asset.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) responded to the development with a concise message: “Multiple chains, one coin.” The statement reinforces the project's decision to expand its blockchain infrastructure without introducing another cryptocurrency, keeping BNB at the center of the growing ecosystem.

New Layer 1 Targets Faster Transactions

The upcoming blockchain, currently referred to as New L, is designed to support applications that require extremely low latency and high transaction throughput. According to BNB Chain's technical documentation, the network will feature 200-millisecond block intervals and sub-second transaction finality, and it also targets transaction pre-confirmations in approximately 20 milliseconds. Pre-confirmations provide an early signal of a transaction's acceptance before full finality is reached, shortening the wait between submission and confirmed execution.

The network is set to introduce several advanced capabilities, including native account abstraction, reserved transaction capacity, and privacy-focused transfers. Native account abstraction allows smart contracts to serve as user accounts, a design that can support features such as flexible wallet logic and gas sponsorship. These improvements could benefit decentralized exchanges, payment platforms, artificial intelligence applications, and institutional blockchain services. Faster transaction confirmations, for instance, could help trading platforms execute orders more efficiently during periods of heavy activity.

However, the performance targets reflect the development network's current design, and actual results may change before the public launch.

BNB Remains the Native Token Across Networks

One of the project's most significant decisions concerns its token structure. Rather than creating a separate cryptocurrency, BNB Chain plans to use BNB across its expanding ecosystem. The token will serve as the native asset for transaction fees, validator staking, and network governance, while a planned cross-chain bridge will connect the new blockchain with BSC. For users, a shared token means moving between the ecosystem's networks without needing to acquire a separate asset for each chain.

This approach could expand BNB's utility as more applications deploy across the ecosystem, although additional network activity does not automatically guarantee increased token demand or higher prices. CZ's statement highlights the broader strategy of supporting multiple blockchain networks through one existing cryptocurrency.

Testnet Expected Before the End of 2026

BNB Chain's development roadmap targets a public testnet launch by the end of 2026, followed by a potential mainnet release in early 2027. The project currently operates in an internal development environment, with no public testnet or mainnet endpoints available. The testnet phase will mark the first opportunity for outside developers to build against the new network, making it the roadmap's clearest milestone to watch.

Meanwhile, BSC will continue operating as an independent network within the broader ecosystem. The new Layer 1 is intended to complement the existing infrastructure rather than replace it.

The expansion signals BNB Chain's ambition to compete in high-speed blockchain infrastructure. Its eventual impact will depend on developer adoption, network reliability, and successful execution of the planned launch.