BNB News Today: YZi's Residency Program: $1B BNB Chain Ecosystem Connects Tech to Human Progress

YZi Labs announced the launch of the second season of its EASY Residency incubation program, set to begin on October 6, 2025, and conclude on December 5, 2025. The program, in partnership with the Most Valuable Builder (MVB) project on the BNB Chain, offers selected founders up to $500,000 in funding, mentorship from industry leaders, and market support to advance projects in Web3, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology PANews^[1]. Global hubs for the residency will be established in Dubai, San Francisco, New York, and Singapore, aiming to eliminate geographic barriers and foster innovation PANews^[1]. The final Demo Day will coincide with Binance Blockchain Week, with applications closing on September 6, 2025 PANews^[1].

The EASY Residency Season 2 aligns with YZi Labs' broader $1 billion Builder Fund, launched to accelerate the BNB Chain ecosystem. The fund targets developers in decentralized finance (DeFi), AI, real-world assets (RWA), and other high-growth sectors, providing access to BNB Chain's infrastructure, which now supports 26 million daily transactions and leads in decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume . Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, emphasized the initiative's focus on "on-chain systems that connect technology back to human progress" . The program also integrates with the MVB accelerator, offering founders direct access to YZi Labs' global investor network and technical resources .

YZi Labs has previously supported BNB Chain projects such as PancakeSwap and ListaDAO, and the Builder Fund expands this commitment by enabling developers to build scalable solutions on a network with over 460 million users . Recent upgrades like the Maxwell Hardfork have reduced block times to 0.75 seconds and transaction fees to 0.05 Gwei, further enhancing the chain's appeal . The residency program's expansion to four global hubs underscores YZi Labs' strategy to create immersive environments for founders, as highlighted by Cathy Dou, the program's Incubation Operations Lead, who described it as an "immersive zone" designed to eliminate distractions and prioritize product development .

The BNB Chain's native token, BNB, has recently surpassed $1,330, solidifying its position as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization . This momentum, coupled with YZi Labs' institutional partnerships-such as the BNB Digital Asset Treasury and RWA Fund-positions the ecosystem for sustained growth . Applications for EASY Residency Season 2 are open, with a focus on founders seeking to leverage the BNB Chain's infrastructure for impactful, real-world applications PANews^[1].