The BNB Smart Chain Fermi upgrade has gone live. Activated at 02:30 UTC after validators upgraded to node version 1.6.4, the hard fork reduces block time from 0.75 seconds to roughly 0.45 seconds — a 40% improvement. This makes BNB Smart Chain one of the fastest Ethereum-compatible blockchains on the market. The official team confirmed that all mainnet nodes are now running v1.6.4, with the network handling increased activity more smoothly.
What the Fermi Upgrade Brings
The upgrade focuses on real-world performance. Shorter block times mean transactions get included faster, confirmation times shrink, and dApps feel more responsive. DeFi protocols, gaming apps, and payment tools all benefit from lower latency.
Faster blocks demand stronger finality rules. That's where BEP-590 comes in — it enables near-instant finality in about one second. This is critical for high-frequency trading, DeFi, and payments, eliminating uncertainty even during peak load.
opBNB Also Got Faster
Days before Fermi, opBNB's mainnet hard fork cut its block time from 500 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds — doubling throughput. Fermi optimizes Layer 1, while opBNB boosts Layer 2 scalability. Together, they push speed across the entire BNB ecosystem.
Leadership Reaction
Nina Rong, Executive Director of Growth at BNB Chain, noted that if the chain processes the same number of transactions in 2026 as in 2025, the recent upgrades would save over 1.24 billion seconds in block time — roughly 40 years. CZ reposted the announcement with “Continue to build!” — a clear signal of confidence from the top.
BNB Price Up 3%
BNB is currently trading at $935, up 3% in the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. The rally is supported by the Fermi hard fork, positive market sentiment, and Bitcoin breaking above $95,000. BNB stands among the stronger performers in today's crypto news.
From a chart perspective, if BNB holds the $900–$905 support zone, traders may target $928 first, then $950. If weakness returns, a retest of $890 is possible before the trend resumes. Faster network performance strengthens long-term conviction in BNB.
Fermi is not just a technical tweak — it directly improves the daily user experience with faster blocks and stronger finality, solidifying BNB's position in the competitive Layer 1 landscape.