BNB Smart Chain

BNB Chain has extended its zero-fee promotion for stablecoin transactions across its network. **Key Details:** - Users can transfer, withdraw, and bridge USDC, U, and USD1 without paying transaction fees - Available on BSC and opBNB networks (availability depends on partner support) - This extends a previous promotion that included USDT, USDC, and FDUSD The initiative aims to reduce friction for stablecoin users on BNB Chain's infrastructure. Fee waivers apply to specific partner platforms participating in the program. Full program details and participating partners: [BNB Chain Blog](https://www.bnbchain.org/en/blog/the-carnival-continues-0-fee-transactions-for-usdc-usd1-u-extended)

BNB Chain is hosting its Local Hack event in Bengaluru, India, offering builders an opportunity to compete for prizes and funding. **Key Details:** - **Prize Pool**: $160,000 in total prizes - **Registration Deadline**: February 15 - **Event Schedule**: Orientation and team formation on Feb 15, followed by two days of in-person hacking on Feb 27-28 - **Additional Benefits**: Direct access to the $1B Builder Fund backed by YZI Labs, plus mentorship and incubation opportunities The hackathon targets developers looking to build on BNB Chain's infrastructure. Interested participants can [register here](https://luma.com/txyqwnzd) before the deadline.

**BNB Chain's Good Vibes Only: OpenClaw Edition hackathon has attracted over 200 developers** competing for a share of $100,000 in prizes. **Key Details:** - Registration opened February 5, 2026 at 15:00 UTC - Submission deadline: February 19, 2026 at 12:00 UTC - Live winner announcement: February 20, 2026 at 12:00 UTC The hackathon encourages developers to "build in public" and ship functional projects on-chain. Participants are using the hashtag #VibingOnBNB to share their progress. [Learn more and register](https://www.bnbchain.org/en/blog/win-a-share-of-100k-with-good-vibes-only-openclaw-edition)

BNB Chain demonstrated solid performance throughout 2025, according to Messari's Q4 report. The blockchain showed measurable growth across several key areas: - **Real usage expansion** in DeFi, real-world assets (RWAs), and payment applications - **Institutional capital** flowing into the ecosystem - **Infrastructure scaling** to support sustained onchain activity The data from Messari indicates BNB Chain closed the year with strong fundamentals and clear traction in core use cases. The network is positioning itself for continued growth as it enters 2026, with infrastructure improvements designed to handle long-term activity. The report highlights that BNB Chain's growth is backed by concrete metrics rather than speculation, showing adoption across multiple sectors of the blockchain economy.

BNB Chain completed four major hardforks in 2025—Pascal, Lorentz, Maxwell, and Fermi—delivering significant performance improvements. **Key improvements:** - Block time reduced from 3s to 0.45s - Finality decreased from 7.5s to 1.1s - Bandwidth more than doubled to 133M gas/sec - Gas prices dropped from 1 gwei to 0.05 gwei These upgrades represent a 570% speed increase and 98% fee reduction compared to 2023 levels. The changes aim to position BNB Chain for increased scalability and adoption. The technical roadmap for 2026 outlines how these improvements will continue. [Read the full roadmap](https://www.bnbchain.org/en/blog/tech-roadmap-2026)

BNB Chain maintained its position as the **3rd largest network by DeFi total value locked (TVL)** as of Q4 2026. **Key Metrics:** - Total TVL reached **$6.6 billion** at the end of Q4 - Year-over-year growth of **23.6%** across the ecosystem - Sustained ranking among top DeFi networks The network continues to demonstrate steady growth in its decentralized finance ecosystem, building on previous momentum from Q1 2025 when revenue increased 58.1% quarter-over-quarter to $70.8 million. BNB Chain's consistent performance reflects ongoing adoption of its Layer-1 and Layer-2 scaling solutions within the broader blockchain landscape.

Network usage showed strong momentum in Q4 with significant growth across key metrics. **Key Metrics:** - Average daily transactions: **17.3M** (up 30.4% QoQ) - Daily active addresses: **2.6M** (up 13.3% QoQ) The sustained growth in both transaction volume and active addresses suggests genuine user demand rather than temporary speculation-driven activity. The quarter-over-quarter increases indicate the network is maintaining its expansion trajectory despite broader market volatility.

The stablecoin market on BNB Chain grew 9.2% quarter-over-quarter to reach $15.2 billion, with USDT and USDC leading the expansion. **Key Developments:** - BNB Chain strengthens its position as a settlement and payments infrastructure layer - Partnership with [BPN Network](https://twitter.com/bpn_network) advances payment capabilities - [UTech Stables](https://twitter.com/UTechStables) launches onchain, focusing on practical applications **Strategic Shift:** The growth reflects a move toward real-world utility rather than speculative token issuance. New initiatives prioritize: - Payment processing - Liquidity efficiency - Cross-chain interoperability This measured expansion positions BNB Chain as a practical infrastructure for digital payments and settlements.

BNB Chain has emerged as the second-largest real-world asset (RWA) network globally, with total onchain value reaching **$2.0 billion** in 2025. **Key Growth Metrics:** - 228% quarter-over-quarter increase - Over 550% year-over-year growth **Major Institutional Deployments:** - Circle's [USYC](https://circle.com) yield-bearing Treasury product - BlackRock's [BUIDL](https://securitize.io) platform via Securitize partnership - FTDA's [BENJI](https://ftda.us) platform **Expanding Asset Access:** Partnerships with [Ondo Finance](https://ondo.finance) and CMB International are broadening access to tokenized funds, equities, and diverse real-world assets onchain. The growth reflects increasing institutional confidence in blockchain-based tokenization of traditional financial instruments.

XPIN Network is now offering free eSIM redemptions to help guests stay connected globally. This initiative builds on a previous partnership announcement that combined crypto card functionality with eSIM services for international use. **Key Features:** - Free eSIM access for eligible guests - Global connectivity solution - Integration with existing crypto payment infrastructure For complete redemption details and eligibility requirements, visit the [official announcement](https://x.com/XPINNetwork/status/2020830488303427670?s=20).