opBNB Takes Flight: BNB Chain's Layer 2 Network Now Operational

In a significant stride towards enhancing scalability within the BNB Chain ecosystem, the introduction of opBNB, a layer 2 solution compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), is poised to make a substantial impact. Developed on the robust foundation of the Optimism OP Stack, opBNB is geared towards alleviating gas fees for projects operating within the BNB Chain network.

Following a comprehensive testing phase that revealed no major glitches, developers have officially ushered in the launch of opBNB. In blockchain parlance, a layer 2 denotes an off-chain system or technology constructed atop the underlying blockchain infrastructure (layer 1). The OP Stack, the driving force behind Optimism, an Ethereum layer 2 blockchain, empowers developers to forge their own networks.

Throughout the testing period, developers meticulously executed a wide array of trials, encompassing over 35 million transactions and the deployment of around 150 applications on opBNB. The blockchain demonstrated an impressive maximum throughput of 4,000 transactions per second (TPS), marking a noteworthy advancement compared to Ethereum's current capacity of 17 TPS.

Arno Bauer, serving as the Senior Architect at BNB Chain, underlined the pivotal significance of scalability and security for opBNB. He accentuated the stringent prerequisites that had to be met prior to the public unveiling of the mainnet, including High Availability (HA), 4K Transactions Per Second (TPS), exhaustive stress testing, reduced gas costs below 0.2 gwei, swift finality within 1 second, and augmented security through multiple external audits.

OpBNB now steps into the fiercely competitive arena, aligning itself with the ranks of over 50 other blockchains striving for recognition and adoption.

In order to streamline project integration, BNB Chain extends an expansive developer tutorial and offers dedicated technical support for opBNB. Moreover, the network has outlined plans to kickstart network activity through a series of airdrop incentives in collaboration with fifteen ecosystem projects, with the aim of drawing initial users and funding to this promising new network.