The BNB Smart Chain (BSC) network is preparing for a leap forward with the implementation of the Maxwell hard fork, an upgrade that promises to reduce block generation time from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds.  

This change, announced by the BNB Chain team, aims to implement faster transactions, a smoother user experience, and a more robust infrastructure for decentralized applications (dApps). Maxwell also promises to improve coordination between validators and node synchronization on the BNB network.  

The Maxwell hard fork, named after physicist James Clerk Maxwell, is based on three technical proposals: BEP-524, BEP-563, and BEP-564. The first, BEP-524, is the core of the update, as it reduces the block interval to 0.75 seconds, doubling the speed compared to the previous reduction achieved with the Lorentz hard fork, which brought the times from 3 to 1.5 seconds.  

For its part, BEP-563 improves messaging between validators, optimizing P2P (peer-to-peer) communication to achieve faster and more efficient consensus.  Finally, BEP-564 introduces new message types to the bsc/2 protocol, such as GetBlocksByRangeMsg and RangeBlocksMsg, which speed up block synchronization between nodes, enabling a more agile and reliable network. 

When will Maxwell be coming to the BNB network? 

The Maxwell hard fork will first be deployed on the testnet on May 26, 2025, giving node operators and developers the opportunity to test the compatibility of their infrastructure.  

The transition to the mainnet is scheduled for June 30, 2025, provided the necessary conditions are met, such as successful adoption by a majority of validators.  

To ensure a smooth transition, node operators must update their software to the latest version before the testnet date, while developers will need to audit their dApps to adapt them to the new block intervals. 

What are the benefits of the Maxwell hardfork? 

According to the BNB team responsible for this update, the benefits of Maxwell extend to all network participants.  For users, transactions, from swaps to minting, will be “virtually instantaneous,” improving the experience on decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and other dApps.  

Developers, meanwhile, will find a low-latency environment that opens up new possibilities for application design, although they will need to adjust timing-based logic to accommodate the faster blocks.  

Validators and node operators, for their part, will face a slight increase in computational demand, but in return will gain a more efficient and stable network.  Even maximum extractable value (MEV) seekers will need to adapt to a narrower time window for submitting bids, which could transform some existing strategies.