BNB Chain has announced plans for a new high-performance Layer 1 blockchain that will operate alongside BNB Smart Chain without introducing a separate cryptocurrency, according to updated technical documentation published on October 22. The project, currently called New L1, is designed for applications that require faster transaction processing and predictable execution.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao responded to the proposal on X with “Multiple chains, one coins,” underscoring that BNB will remain the network’s gas, staking, and governance asset across both chains.
The proposed architecture targets 200-millisecond block times and transaction pre-confirmation in approximately 20 milliseconds. It will use an enhanced Parlia consensus mechanism with BLS voting to target transaction-order finality in under one second. However, BNB Chain’s documentation distinguishes pre-confirmations from final settlement, warning that pre-confirmations can be revoked before finalization.
The network separates transaction ordering from execution and introduces a Multi-Lane mechanism to reserve processing capacity for high-frequency trading, decentralized order books, payments, and similar use cases. Developers will retain compatibility with existing Solidity smart contracts, although some Ethereum RPC methods and transaction types will not be supported. The design also includes native account abstraction and an optional privacy feature using a shielded pool.
BNB will be transferable from BNB Smart Chain to the new network through a native bridge that is still under development. Staked BNB will generate govBNB at a one-to-one ratio, providing non-transferable voting rights. BNB Smart Chain will continue supporting existing DeFi applications and trading platforms while the new L1 handles lower-latency transactions.
The initiative follows growing activity on BNB Chain. An October 23 report found that BNB Chain processed approximately $25.6 billion in tokenized stock transactions in Q3, held about $1.13 billion in tokenized equity supply, and saw network revenue climb 54% to $54.2 million. The August 25 Pasteur hard fork improved controlled test throughput from 1,237 to 2,324 transactions per second.
An internal multi-validator devnet is currently running. A public testnet is planned for the end of 2026, with a mainnet launch targeted for early 2027, although the schedule remains subject to change. BNB traded at around $740 at press time, up more than 2% over the past seven days.
