BNB Chain plans new parallel Layer 1 with 200ms blocks
Tech & Launches ·
CZ has confirmed plans for a high-speed Layer 1 running alongside BNB Chain's existing chain, aiming for block times of roughly 200ms.
The planned network would operate in parallel to the current BNB Smart Chain rather than replacing it, sharing the same native BNB token and connected by a native bridge between the two chains, according to wublockchain.xyz. A testnet is targeted by the end of 2026, with the project framed around a "multiple chains, one coin" structure.
The core technical goal is speed: a new base layer built to finalize blocks in approximately 200ms, far faster than typical Layer 1 block times. As a base-layer settlement chain, this new network would be responsible for its own consensus, validator set, and native security rather than renting those from BNB Smart Chain, since a Layer 1 by definition runs its own validator network and security budget independent of other chains.
Running two chains in parallel under one native asset is an unusual design choice; most Layer 1 upgrades either replace an existing chain outright or spin up a separate Layer 2 that settles back to the base chain. Keeping BNB as the shared token while adding a distinct high-speed settlement layer, linked by a native bridge, suggests BNB Chain is trying to add throughput without fragmenting liquidity or forcing users to adopt a new asset.
Coverage of the plan currently traces to two distinct sources, with wublockchain.xyz detailing CZ's response to the new L1 proposal. What remains unspecified is the consensus mechanism the new chain will use to hit 200ms blocks, how validator sets will be coordinated across the two parallel chains, and whether the native bridge design has been published. The stated 2026 testnet timeline gives a benchmark for when the first technical details and mainnet milestones should become public.