BNB Chain Closes in on Ethereum as Maxwell Hard Fork Begins Testnet Phase

• The Maxwell HardFork, launched on BNB Chain’s testnet, reduces block finality to just 1.9 seconds, along with doubling epoch lengths, reducing block gas caps from 70M to 35M.
• Following the Maxwell HardFork announcement, transaction throughput increased by 37%, fueling optimism among analysts and influencers about its impact on the network and the BNB token.

With BNB Chain’s Maxwell HardFork launching its testnet, the network is now faster and more efficient. The upgrade, which will launch on June 30, 2025, plays a key role in boosting BNB Chain’s competitiveness with networks such as Ethereum and Solana.

About BNB Chain’s Latest Maxwell HardFork Upgrade

“Maxwell HardFork Successfully Activated on BNB Chain Testnet…Developers and validators are encouraged to begin testing the new infrastructure,” BNB Chain announced.

Maxwell Hard Fork was launched on block height 5,255,2978, bringing major changes to the network’s agreement and core systems. Among many technical improvements are decreased block production times, enhanced network synchronization, and improved messages between validators. These changes together boost the network’s ability to handle more users and developers.

As a result, the network’s blocks are now completed in less than half the time, at just 0.75 seconds. Since blockchains have become faster, they now include more technological protection to keep the network stable. To accomplish this goal, the upgrade adds adjustments such as slower and faster consensus times and how block data spreads.

One important update is that the length of each epoch has been doubled from 500 to 1,000. In addition, every validator now provides 16 consecutive blocks, which maintains consistent proposer times without affecting block arrival. Currently, the gas cap for each block has changed from 70 million to 35 million. The aim is to ensure the data processed doesn’t strain the system by using this method.

Advances at the network level are also a major part of the upgrade. It now takes just 400 milliseconds for a block to travel among validators. At the same time, new range synchronization capabilities help slower nodes remain up to date, even under the reduced timeframes.

James Clerk Maxwell, who merged the fields of electricity and magnetism, gives this hard fork its title, Maxwell HardFork. BNB Chain has compared traditional blockchain problems to solve both the issue of fast transactions and lasting stability.

With finality coming within about 1.9 seconds, the system starts to function as instantly as a web service does. By confirming transactions for mints, swaps, and play in the game quickly, this approach closes the distance between Web2 and Web3 more effectively.

New Possibilities For Developers

The upgrade gives developers different opportunities to work with. Now, all applications requiring speed, like those used for high-frequency trading, gaming, and predictive markets, can make transactions directly on the Layer-1 network.

Data from DefiLlama shows that BNB Chain is the top DEX by far, handling daily trading of $13 billion, while Solana is at just over $2.2 billion. Chainspect data reveals that transaction throughput on BNB Chain increased by 37%, putting it 12 times ahead of what Ethereum handles, as highlighted in the previous story. 

Earlier, the Lorentz Hardfork led to a 10x reduction in gas fees and enhanced TPS. Thus, DeFi influencer Elja believes “the upcoming Maxwell Hardfork will be even more bullish for BNBChain.” After the upgrade, BNB price gained 1.51%, trading at $683.18 on Tuesday, May 27.