BNB Chain Sets March 20 for Pascal Hardfork on Mainnet

BNB Chain's Pascal hardfork, a significant upgrade bringing several enhancements to the blockchain network, is scheduled to deploy on the mainnet on March 20, 2025. This follows the successful testnet release in February 2025.

Key Benefits of the Pascal Hardfork

The upgrade offers improved Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility through the implementation of EIP-7702, which enables externally owned accounts to execute smart contract code. This advancement allows wallets to function as smart contracts, supporting:

• Gasless transactions
• Batch approvals
• Simplified swaps

With these features, BNB Chain aims to enhance user experience and facilitate easier Web3 onboarding by enabling decentralized applications to sponsor gas fees. These capabilities mirror what Ethereum is planning with its upcoming Pectra upgrade.

Preparation Requirements

Ahead of the hardfork, several key stakeholders need to update their systems:

• Node operators and validators
• Exchanges and infrastructure providers
• Developers

Failing to update could result in participants becoming out of sync following the mainnet upgrade.

Future Development Roadmap

BNB Chain's development plans following Pascal include two significant performance upgrades:

1. Lorentz hardfork (April 2025): Aims to reduce block times to 1.5 seconds
2. Maxwell hardfork (June 2025): Targets sub-second transaction finality at 0.75 seconds

These upgrades are crucial as BNB Chain expands its presence in decentralized finance (DeFi) and artificial intelligence (AI). The project recently unveiled an AI roadmap highlighting its focus on the emerging DeFAI ecosystem, which combines AI and blockchain technologies to optimize yield generation, cross-chain intelligence, and liquidity management.