BNB Chain eyes mid-March hard fork to add native smart contract wallets

BNB Chain is gearing up for its Pascal hard fork, targeting mid-March 2025 for the mainnet deployment, with the testnet fork slated for February.

This upgrade aims to bolster the network’s Ethereum compatibility by introducing native smart contract wallets, a feature also anticipated in Ethereum’s forthcoming Pectra upgrade.

These smart contract wallets incorporate spending limits and batch transactions while also improving security through multisignature support. The integration of BEP-439 (equivalent to Ethereum’s EIP-2537) will enable the consolidation of multiple digital signatures into one to streamline transaction verifications.

BNB Chain has set two additional hard forks: the Lorentz hard fork in April 2025, which will reduce block intervals to 1.5 seconds, and the Maxwell hard fork in June 2025, further decreasing intervals to 0.75 seconds.

Related: Binance co-founder CZ dismisses crypto exchange sale rumors

BNB’s Pascal mirrors Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade

BNB Chain’s Pascal upgrade aligns with Ethereum’s highly anticipated Pectra upgrade. Pectra is set to be one of the most significant Ethereum hard forks in recent history, bringing sweeping improvements to network efficiency, security and smart contract functionality. The upgrade introduces native smart contract wallets.

Another major aspect of Pectra is its expansion of Ethereum’s data-handling capabilities. The upgrade increases the number of blobs per block to a maximum of nine, enhancing Ethereum’s data availability and making rollups cheaper and more efficient.

Memes breathe life into BNB

BNB Chain was a dominant blockchain in its early days thanks to Binance backing and high throughput but had receded from the spotlight as Solana and Ethereum have vied for DeFi supremacy.

Related: CZ admits Binance token listing process is flawed, needs reform

However, the network recently experienced a resurgence, partly due to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao’s mention of his dog, Broccoli, which triggered a memecoin frenzy and renewed activity across the chain. 

BNB’s native cryptocurrency (BNB) has responded positively, surging nearly 14% over the past two weeks and surpassing Solana (SOL) to claim the fifth spot in cryptocurrency rankings. In contrast, SOL has dropped over 10%, as its core strength of memecoins has been clouded by insider trading scandals and rug pull allegations tied to high-profile tokens on its network.

BNB Chain’s 2025 roadmap indicates a commitment to nurturing the meme ecosystem.

Magazine: Pectra hard fork explained — Will it get Ethereum back on track?