BNB Smart Chain Cuts Block Times to 0.8 Seconds After Maxwell Hard Fork Upgrade

BNB Smart Chain has officially rolled out its highly anticipated Maxwell hard fork, delivering a significant boost to network performance by slashing average block times to just 0.8 seconds—from 1.5 seconds earlier this week.

The upgrade, which went live on June 30 at 2:30 am UTC, marks a major technical step forward for the blockchain. Designed to improve transaction speed, validator communication, and network synchronization, the Maxwell hard fork introduces three core proposals—BEP-524, BEP-563, and BEP-564—each aimed at enhancing scalability and reliability across the chain.

“This isn’t just another upgrade—it’s a technical leap forward for faster blocks, better validator coordination, and smoother network performance,” said the BNB Chain team in a statement.

What’s New in the Maxwell Upgrade?

At the heart of the upgrade is BEP-524, which directly reduces block times, building on April’s Lorentz upgrade that halved the block interval from three seconds to 1.5. Maxwell cuts that time further to a blazing-fast 0.8 seconds.

config: update BSC Mainnet hardfork time: Maxwell by zzzckck · Pull Request #3130 · bnb-chain/bsc

Description expected Mainnet Maxwell hard fork time: 2025-06-30 02:30:00 AM UTC Rationale NA Example NA Changes NA

GitHubbnb-chain

BEP-563 targets validator performance by improving peer-to-peer messaging. It allows for quicker communication between nodes, reducing missed votes and delays—a key factor in hitting the sub-one-second target for block times.

Meanwhile, BEP-564 introduces two new protocol messages—GetBlocksByRangeMsg and RangeBlocksMsg—which enhance block sync efficiency. Instead of multiple calls for recent blocks, validators can now request and receive multiple blocks in one exchange, significantly speeding up synchronization across the network.

Developers and Validators: Time to Adjust

With the faster pace comes a call to action. The BNB Chain team warned developers to stress-test their decentralized applications (DApps) and adapt any code dependent on the former 1.5-second timing.

“If something breaks, it’s probably your code—not the chain,” they added.

BNB Chain Announces Maxwell Hardfork: BSC Moves to 0.75-Second Block Times - BNB Chain Blog

BNB Chain is accelerating again. The Maxwell hardfork brings a major upgrade to BNB Smart Chain (BSC), reducing block times from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds. This marks the next step in our mission to improve network responsiveness, transaction speed, and validator performance. The Maxwell upgrade is powered by three key proposals—BEP-524, BEP-563, and BEP-564—each designed to improve core aspects of the chain’s speed and reliability. What’s Changing? With Maxwell, BSC will: * Reduce block

BNB Chain Blog

Validators must now prepare for more frequent consensus cycles and increased message throughput. Benchmarking infrastructure for the 0.75-second block target is essential to keep systems running smoothly.

BNB Token Reacts to the Upgrade

The native BNB token responded positively ahead of the Maxwell launch. Over the past week, BNB has risen 6.5%, trading between $617 and $655. As of Monday, it sits at $655.70—up 1.2% in 24 hours—according to CoinGecko data. While still 17% below its all-time high of $788 from December 2023, the token’s momentum reflects strong market interest in BNB Chain’s technical progress.

With the Maxwell hard fork live and cutting block times nearly in half, BNB Smart Chain is setting a new pace for performance and scalability in the blockchain space. Developers, validators, and users alike can now benefit from faster transactions, better sync, and a more responsive network experience—pushing BNB further into the spotlight as a leading smart contract platform.