BNB Chain is launching a new L1 blockchain. On October 22nd, BNB Chain's official documentation updated its New L1 plan. This isn't a simple upgrade of BSC; it involves redesigning a completely new, high-performance L1 blockchain. The document doesn't specify the new chain name, labeling it TBD (tentative). Here are some key points: 1. Creating a new L1 blockchain, not replacing BSC. The existing BSC will continue operating, with the new L1 coexisting with BSC via a native cross-chain bridge. BSC will continue to support the existing large DeFi and application ecosystem, while the new L1 will specifically serve businesses with higher requirements for transaction speed, latency, and performance. 2. No new token will be issued; BNB will continue to be used. The new L1 will not issue an independent token and will continue to use BNB as the core asset for gas, staking, and governance. This appears to be incremental growth; if the new L1 can support more transactions, payments, and broader financial services, the demand for BNB will actually be greater. BNB is currently priced at 743, and this has fueled expectations. 3. Transaction Performance is Key 200ms block time, approximately 20ms transaction pre-confirmation, sub-second transaction sorting, etc. It's clearly targeting high-frequency trading, on-chain order books, and payment scenarios. The development of exchanges like Hyperliquid, Lightner, and Aster in the past two years has highlighted the importance of transaction infrastructure. 4. Launch Timeline The documentation states that an internal multi-validator development network is already running, but there is no public testnet or mainnet yet. The plan is to launch the testnet at the end of 2026 and the mainnet in early 2027. (Wow, it's almost here!) 5. Why a New Chain? The general impression of BSC is its low fees, large user base, active Meme, and its backing by the Binance ecosystem. This new L1 chain sends a clear signal: BNB Chain is not content with just being a general-purpose public chain; it aims to further compete in the high-performance on-chain financial infrastructure market. A large part of the reason, I think, is the pressure and future potential brought by Perp DEX. Previously, people thought on-chain trading was just a supplement to centralized exchanges, but now more and more trading demand is shifting to on-chain. Recently, the total daily trading volume of on-chain Perp has been close to one-third of Binance Futures. Although there are factors such as incentive points, this trend cannot be ignored. For us ordinary users: Besides focusing on new protocols, new features, and early ecosystem opportunities after the new L1 open testnet, what else is worth paying attention to? @BNBCHAIN @binancezh