[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, UAE, April 28th, 2026]
BNB Chain today announced the successful activation of the Osaka/Mendel hard fork, a targeted network upgrade that implements nine BNB Evolution Proposals (BEPs). This upgrade integrates six proven Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) with two BNB Chain-specific enhancements, all selected to improve execution efficiency, stability, and usability under real-world conditions.
Building on the performance gains introduced by the Fermi and Maxwell upgrades, Osaka/Mendel refines how the network handles blocks produced in under a second. By addressing small inefficiencies that become critical at high throughput—such as gas spikes, heavy computation, and inconsistent execution—the upgrade delivers more predictable gas pricing, tighter execution limits, and faster, more reliable transaction finality.
Key enhancements include:
- Predictable gas and execution: The upgrade introduces upper bounds on computationally intensive operations (including modular exponentiation), caps on per-transaction gas limits, and refined gas cost schedules that better reflect actual resource usage. These measures reduce unexpected behavior for developers and ensure consistent transaction outcomes for users, even during peak activity.
- Low-level engine improvements: The CLZ opcode is added to provide an efficient instruction for counting leading zeros, giving developers a more performant low-level tool without changing application-level behavior.
- Stable blocks under load: A clear cap on block size prevents overly heavy blocks and helps maintain consistent processing performance as network activity scales.
- Improved cryptography support: Updated gas costs for secp256r1 operations simplify integration with external systems and non-Ethereum cryptographic standards.
The upgrade also introduces two BNB Chain-specific features:
- Blob transaction limits: Blob transactions are now restricted by block number to prevent large, data-heavy payloads from degrading block performance.
- Faster finality: Fast Finality is enhanced through an in-memory voting pool, resulting in quicker and more reliable transaction confirmations.
Developers gain additional operational visibility through a new JSON-RPC method that provides improved insight into node configuration, helping to streamline debugging and infrastructure management.
Osaka/Mendel continues the momentum established by Fermi, Maxwell, and Pascal, strengthening the protocol’s core without adding unnecessary complexity. The upgrade keeps the network optimized and ready for the next wave of adoption.
About BNB Chain
BNB Chain is one of the largest and most active blockchain ecosystems worldwide, supported by a global community of developers and users. With high throughput, low transaction costs, and full EVM compatibility, BNB Chain powers scalable applications across finance, gaming, and the broader Web3 economy.