tl;dr
BNB Chain has announced a major upgrade called the Pascal Hardfork, set for March 20. The upgrade aims to enhance Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, smart contract wallets, and developer flexibility on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). This move follows Ethereum's recent Sepolia Testnet upgr...
BNB Chain has announced a major upgrade called the Pascal Hardfork, set for March 20. The upgrade aims to enhance Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, smart contract wallets, and developer flexibility on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). This move follows Ethereum's recent Sepolia Testnet upgrade to Pectra, indicating the rapid development pace in the blockchain sphere.
The Pascal Hardfork includes the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal 7702 (EIP-7702), making BNB Chain one of the earliest adopters of this EVM upgrade. It will allow wallets to function as smart contracts, offering benefits such as gasless transactions. The upgrade will also enable more flexible gas fee payments, batch approvals, and swaps, ultimately simplifying web3 onboarding for new crypto users.
BNB Chain's founder hinted at future upgrades, including the Lorentz Hardfork in April 2025 and the Maxwell Hardfork in June 2025, aiming to significantly increase transaction speeds. This announcement closely follows Ethereum's Pectra upgrade, signaling heightened competition among blockchain networks.
Despite the positive developments, BNB's price remains largely unaffected, although it has shown resilience compared to other major cryptocurrencies.
BNB Chain revealed the update in a post on X (Twitter), noting that the Pascal Hardfork will improve user experience and developer efficiency on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). One of its most significant implementations of the Pascal Hardfork is EIP-7702 (Ethereum Improvement Proposal 7702). The upgrade potentially puts the network at the forefront of EVM-compatible chains. According to the announcement, Pascal Hardfork will allow wallets to function as smart contracts. This would unlock several benefits, including delivering gasless transactions.
With this upgrade, users can pay for gas fees more flexibly, improving accessibility. The Pascal upgrade will also deliver batch approvals and swaps, meaning transactions can be grouped. This would reduce costs and make DeFi interactions smoother. Further, EIP-7702 would simplify web3 onboarding, delivering an easier user experience for those new to crypto.
Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) acknowledged the Pascal upgrade, calling it an “Important Hardfork.” Meanwhile, BNB Chain hinted that beyond Pascal Hardfork, other upgrades are in the pipeline. It cited the Lorentz Hardfork, slated for April 2025 and expected to deliver faster blocks at 1.5 seconds transaction speed. Additionally, the Maxwell Hardfork, due in June 2025, would make the BNB Chain significantly faster, with a transaction speed of 0.75 seconds.
In a broader context, this announcement comes only days after Ethereum’s Sepolia Testnet implemented the Pectra upgrade. BeInCrypto reported that this upgrade enhances Ethereum’s EVM functionality and smart contract capabilities. Therefore, BNB Chain’s timing signals growing competition among blockchain networks. Despite the positive developments, BNB price remains largely unaffected today.
BNB remains a more resilient asset among the top cryptocurrencies. The altcoin saw a 2% gain in the past month, while all the major tokens, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, saw double-digit losses.