Binance's BNB Smart Chain: Pascal Hard Fork Boosts Ethereum Compatibility and Security

The BNB Smart Chain, a high-performance blockchain developed by Binance, is set to undergo a significant upgrade with the Pascal hard fork, scheduled for March 2025. This upgrade aims to enhance the chain's compatibility with Ethereum and introduce several new features to improve user experience and security.

The Pascal hard fork upgrade, set to be implemented on the testnet on February 25, 2025, and the mainnet in mid-March 2025, will bring two core enhancements. Firstly, native smart contract wallet support will be introduced, enabling features such as multi-signature support, spending limits, and batch transactions. This integration is achieved by incorporating EIP-7702. Secondly, the upgrade will include a security encryption upgrade, with the introduction of BEP-439 (EIP-2537) to support BLS12-381 curve cryptographic operations.

Following the Pascal hard fork, the BNB Chain team has announced two subsequent upgrades: Lorentz (April 2025) and Maxwell (June 2025). These upgrades will focus on reducing block intervals, with Lorentz aiming for 1.5 seconds and Maxwell targeting 0.75 seconds. This reduction in block intervals is expected to improve the chain's performance and transaction processing speed.

The Pascal hard fork upgrade is a significant step in the BNB Smart Chain's roadmap, demonstrating the team's commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. By enhancing compatibility with Ethereum and introducing new features, the upgrade aims to attract more developers and users to the BNB Smart Chain ecosystem. As the upgrade progresses, it will be crucial to monitor the testnet and mainnet performance to ensure a smooth transition and minimal disruption to users and developers.