BSC Mainnet Unveils Fermi Hardfork, Here’s What to Note

The BNB Smart Chain (BSC) ecosystem is getting ready for the Fermi Hardfork. In a post on X, the Fermi Hardfork will activate on January 14, 2026, at 2:30 AM. The upgrade is essential for enhancing the efficiency, security, and flexibility of the BSC mainnet, particularly for validators. 

According to a blog post, the Fermi Hardfork will bring necessary changes that all validators and builders must follow. To keep their role in block production and validation, stakeholders must upgrade their nodes before the activation. 

Supported Releases and Features for the Fermi Hardfork

The BSC team has confirmed that the Fermi Hardfork will support two software versions, v1.6.4 and v1.6.5. Both versions will work with the hardfork, but v1.6.5 is important because it includes upgrades that improve network performance.

A key feature of v1.6.5 is a new option for an upper limit on transaction gas fees. This gives validators more control over gas costs. This also helps reduce sudden spikes and makes transactions more stable on the BSC network. 

Additionally, the v1.6.5 release removes the handshake mechanism from the BSC protocol. This change will make communication between nodes simpler and reduce unnecessary overhead when they connect with each other. As a result, validators can expect their networks to work more efficiently after the hardfork.

It is also worth noting that the update improves filtermaps checkpoints. These checkpoints help sync and maintain the blockchain state. 

BNB Smart Chain’s Maxwell Upgrade

Recall that BNB Smart Chain successfully implemented its Maxwell upgrade in June. The Chain’s average black times got slashed to 0.8 seconds from 1.5 seconds, marking a significant stride in the network’s speed and efficiency. The Maxwell hard fork officially went live on June 30, following weeks of preparation after its testnet launch on May 26.

As reported by TheCoinRise, the upgrade has been designed to reduce latency for Decentralized Finance (DeFi) users. Similarly, in April, BNB Chain finished its Lorentz hard fork upgrade. This upgrade was done on its test networks and will make the blockchain faster and more efficient.

BNB Chain Lead as the Most Active Blockchain

In September, BNB Chain became the leading blockchain by active users, reaching 52.5 million unique addresses. This strong performance pushed it ahead of NEAR Protocol and Solana (SOL). A significant part of the BNB Chain’s strong comeback comes from Aster, a fast-growing project in its ecosystem.

This growth also indicates that an increasing number of users are exploring new ways to earn and trade on the BNB Chain. 

BNB Chain’s growth is not limited to one part of its network. Its main Layer 1 chain and Layer 2 network also experienced a surge. With more users, faster transactions, and lower fees, BNB Chain is also becoming a leading platform for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.