BNB Smart Chain (BSC) has now launched an innovative expansion solution, opBNB, online. opBNB is our commitment to ensuring that users, developers, and projects have a seamless and efficient experience on BSC. This development is part of our mission to keep moving forward and lead innovation. The opBNB testnet will be launched on June 19, 2023! We invite testnet validators and dApp developers to try out the testnet and provide feedback.

What is opBNB?

opBNB is BSC’s scalability solution. As a layer 2 blockchain compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), opBNB is based on the Optimism OP Stack, further improving the scalability of BSC. opBNB greatly improves the scalability of L1 to alleviate network congestion and reduce transaction costs, while maintaining a similar level of security as L1.

Optimistic Rollups proposes a way to reduce the computational load on the main chain by executing transactions off-chain and publishing only transaction data as calldata to the main chain. This approach greatly improves scalability by bundling multiple transactions together and then committing them to the main chain.

Combining the power of BSC with opBNB's unique new features, including simplifying data usage, improving the caching system, and adjusting the submission process algorithm to support simultaneous operations (also known as batch processing), allows opBNB to increase the gas limit to 100 million. That's a huge improvement compared to Optimism's 300,000 (source: link). With these new features, opBNB can process over 4,000 transfer transactions per second with an average cost of less than $0.005 per transaction.

Why is opBNB important?

By leveraging the power of Optimistic Rollups, opBNB moves computation and state storage off-chain, easing congestion and lowering transaction costs. Transactions are executed off-chain, but their data is published to the mainnet as calldata. This revolutionary approach enables high-throughput environments with low gas costs.

Additionally, opBNB employs a fraud-proof scheme to ensure the validity of transactions. Anyone can challenge the results of a rollup transaction by computing a fraud proof, and if successful, the transaction will be re-executed to maintain the integrity of the network.

Benefits to projects and developers

With opBNB, developers get a powerful and EVM-compatible platform to build open ecosystems. The opBNB team has made important contributions to supporting the Optimism Stack for layer 2 solutions. Leveraging this stack simplifies the process for EVM developers to migrate their applications to BSC, helping them reach more users.

Projects can also take advantage of increased throughput and significantly reduced transaction costs to provide a better user experience for their customers. Additionally, projects that previously faced high transaction volume burdens on BSC can thrive with opBNB’s increased scalability. Here are some of the benefits of opBNB:

1. Enhanced scalability: As mentioned above, opBNB can support more than 4,000 transfer transactions per second. This is possible thanks to opBNB's innovative features, including optimized data browsing, improved caching systems, and adjustments to the submission process algorithm to support simultaneous operations (also known as batch processors). This is a significant increase over current BSC capacity, making it ideal for applications with large numbers of daily active users. Therefore, developers don’t need to worry about their projects congesting the network, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted operations. Additionally, as the average transfer transaction cost drops to less than $0.005, it becomes easier for developers to create and run applications, especially those that require high-frequency microtransactions. Lower transaction costs can also attract more users, potentially increasing app adoption and success.

2. EVM Compatibility: Being EVM compatible means that opBNB provides a usable platform for developers familiar with Ethereum tools and dApps. This compatibility simplifies the migration or scaling of existing Ethereum applications to BSC, providing a wider audience and resources. Developers can take advantage of this to take full advantage of the Ethereum and BNB smart chain ecosystem.

3. Security and Trust: Security remains the cornerstone of opBNB thanks to the fraud proof scheme. This ensures that all off-chain transactions are valid, providing an additional layer of trust and confidence to developers and users alike. Additionally, the transparency and verifiability of transactions on opBNB encourages a healthier and more secure application environment.

4. Future-proof development: The blockchain space is evolving rapidly, and maintaining adaptability is key to continued growth. With opBNB's powerful and flexible framework, developers can easily adapt to changes, add new features and experiment with innovative ideas. This makes opBNB not just a solution now, but a strategic choice for the future.

5. Rich ecosystem integration: opBNB is more than a standalone Layer 2 solution; it is part of the broader and vibrant BSC ecosystem. This integration provides developers and projects with the opportunity to interact with a variety of other projects and tokens, including BNB, USDT, and other future ERC20 tokens supported by opBNB.

opBNB has the potential to facilitate the growth of a variety of applications, from gaming dApps to social networks, thanks to the efficient and cost-effective blockchain environment it provides.

let us build together

The launch of opBNB marks a new chapter in our journey to build a scalable, available and cost-effective blockchain ecosystem. However, this is just the beginning.

We invite developers and projects to experiment with opBNB. Whether you want to build a high-volume decentralized application, gaming platform or social network, opBNB provides an ideal environment for your creativity. Your contribution will not only benefit your project, but will also contribute to the broader BSC ecosystem and the future of blockchain technology.

Let’s leverage the power of opBNB to create an efficient, scalable and sustainable blockchain ecosystem. The future is optimistic and we're excited to shape it with you. Join the testnet launch on June 19th and start building on opBNB today! After trying out the testnet, there are several forums where you can submit your feedback.