BNB Chain is set to activate the Pasteur hard fork on the BNB Smart Chain mainnet at 02:30 UTC on August 25, 2026. The update has operated on the test network since July 21 and focuses on security enhancements and more efficient use of existing block capacity rather than further reductions in block times.

Node operators must upgrade their software to version 1.7.7 before the activation time. The network has also directed operators to remove any outdated EnableBAL configuration setting, as the updated client will not start if the parameter remains in place.

Core Technical Proposals

The hard fork packages three proposals under the overarching BEP-673 framework. These changes address longstanding points in bridge operations, validator management, and block construction.

BEP-682 strengthens verification for assets moving across the BNB Chain bridge. The process now ensures that each validator signature counts only once, closing a gap that previously allowed the same validator to appear multiple times in an approval set. This provides a firmer guarantee that a genuine supermajority of validators has approved a transfer before assets are accepted on the chain.

BEP-695 improves the handling of validator key rotations. Once a key is rotated, it immediately loses administrative authority. The change also resolves related issues in slashing and governance voting that could otherwise leave outdated keys with residual privileges.

BEP-675 alters how blocks are prepared and validated. A block builder can submit a pre-executed block. Validators perform a rapid check against consensus rules, sign and broadcast the block, and complete fuller validation afterward. This approach reduces the time spent on immediate verification and allows blocks to carry a higher volume of transactions without changing the 450-millisecond block interval or the 100 million gas limit.

Test Network Results and Capacity Gains

On the test network, the BEP-675 changes raised measured throughput from 1,237 transactions per second to 2,324 transactions per second. Average gas used per block increased from 46.35 million to 84.15 million under the same 100 million gas limit. Finality timing remained unchanged.

These figures come from controlled test environments designed to approximate mainnet conditions. The gains stem from filling available block space more completely rather than accelerating the network clock.

Position Within the 2026 Roadmap

Earlier in 2026 the network cut block intervals to 450 milliseconds and reduced in-memory finality to 650 milliseconds. Those steps pushed benchmark throughput near 5,200 transactions per second. The Pasteur upgrade forms part of the second-half plan to double mainnet throughput once more and advance toward a longer-term tenfold increase in overall capacity.

Developers describe the capacity workstream centered on BEP-675 as central to maximizing block utilization during periods of elevated demand. The security measures in BEP-682 and BEP-695 operate alongside these performance adjustments to tighten governance and cross-chain processes.

The hard fork is directed primarily at validators and block builders. Once activated, the changes are expected to support higher sustained activity without requiring further reductions in block time or increases in the gas limit.