BNB Chain
EVM-compatible blockchain using Proof of Staked Authority with 21 validators and BNB as gas token.
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BNB Chain key facts
| Category | Layer 1 blockchain |
|---|---|
| Chains | BNB Smart Chain |
| Platforms | Mainnet, RPC |
| Token | BNB |
| Launched | September 1, 2020 |
| Open source | Yes (bnb-chain/bsc) |
| Fees | Gas in BNB at a 0.05 Gwei standard gas price |
BNB token
- Price
- $695.3 +0.2% 24h
- Market cap
- $91.4B
- Fully diluted value
- $91.4B
- 30-day change
- -5.6%
Market data: CoinGecko, updated Nov 7, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
What is BNB Chain?
BNB Smart Chain is an EVM-compatible blockchain that has run since 2020. It uses Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) with a set of 21 validators chosen from the most bonded candidates. BNB pays gas and staking, and block rewards come from transaction fees rather than inflation.
How BNB Chain works
BNB Smart Chain combines delegated proof of stake with proof of authority.
BNB holders delegate to validators through the StakeHub system contract, and every day after 00:00 UTC the consensus engine ranks validators by total stake: the top 21 form the Cabinet and produce most blocks, ranks 22 to 45 are Candidates with a small chance of producing blocks, and the rest are inactive. Block time is about 0.45 seconds, cut from 3 seconds by the Lorentz, Maxwell and Fermi hardforks.
Staking rewards come from transaction fees. The validator that proposes a block collects most of its fee, and part goes to a System Reward contract that funds fast-finality rewards. Each day the validator's commission goes to its operator account and the rest flows into its credit contract. Delegators hold a non-transferable credit token for each validator, named st plus the validator's moniker, whose BNB value grows as rewards accrue and is paid out when you undelegate.
How to start with BNB Chain
- Add BNB Smart Chain to an EVM wallet and fund it with BNB for gas; Ethereum tools such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet and Remix work with it.
- To stake, open the staking dApp at bnbchain.org/en/bnb-staking, connect MetaMask, Trust Wallet or a WalletConnect-compatible wallet, pick a validator, enter an amount and sign the delegation.
- Your delegations then appear on the My Staking page.
- You can also call the StakeHub contract directly on BscScan or BscTrace.
BNB Chain fees and limits
- The docs cite a network-wide standard gas price of 0.05 Gwei, which they say puts typical transactions at around $0.005 or less.
- Staking has its own costs: moving a delegation from one validator to another carries a 0.002% redelegation fee to discourage frequent switching, and each validator sets its own commission rate, which is taken from rewards before the rest reaches delegators.
Gas is paid in BNB.
Risks to know before using BNB Chain
- Undelegated BNB goes through a 7-day unbonding period before you can claim it.
- Slashing hits a validator's self-delegated BNB: 200 BNB and a 30-day jail for double signing or malicious fast-finality votes, and 10 BNB with a 2-day jail for missing more than 1,000 blocks in 24 hours.
- A validator that misses over 333 blocks in a day forfeits its block rewards to other validators, which cuts what its delegators earn.
- Becoming a validator requires 2,000 BNB of self-delegation.
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Where BNB Chain ranks on DappAtlas
Listed next to BNB Chain
BNB Chain pros and cons
- Full EVM compatibility with Ethereum tooling
- No inflation of BNB; block rewards come from fees
- Client is a public go-ethereum fork on GitHub
- Only 21 active validators under PoSA
- Validators are the most bonded candidates, so stake size decides the set
- Undelegated BNB waits through a 7-day unbonding period
BNB Chain FAQ
What is BNB Chain?
BNB Smart Chain is an EVM-compatible blockchain that has run since 2020. It uses Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) with a set of 21 validators chosen from the most bonded candidates. BNB pays gas and staking, and block rewards come from transaction fees rather than inflation.
Which chains does BNB Chain support?
BNB Smart Chain.
How much does BNB Chain cost?
Gas in BNB at a 0.05 Gwei standard gas price, according to BNB Chain’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
Does BNB Chain have a token?
Yes, BNB. Its market cap was $91.4B on CoinGecko on Nov 7, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
Sources
How this page works
Sources: BNB Chain: official site, BNB Chain: BNB Smart Chain, BNB Chain: BNB Smart Chain overview. Data as of Sep 26, 2026.
Not affiliated with any project listed. Educational content, not financial advice.