Can BNB Chain’s Maxwell Upgrade Today Outshine XRPL 2.5.0?

The highly anticipated BNB Chain Maxwell upgrade is now live, bringing with it faster block times and enhanced network performance. With block times slashed in half to 0.8 seconds, the upgrade aims to outdo its competitors, including the recently upgraded XRPL 2.5.0. Can this upgrade’s promised speed and efficiency gains propel BNB Chain to the forefront?

BNB Smart Chain Maxwell Upgrade Goes Live

The BNB Chain Maxwell upgrade went live on Monday, slashing average block times to 0.8 seconds from 1.5. In an X post, the platform announced the upgrade, sparking enthusiasm.

Significantly, this upgrade is set to accelerate transaction speeds, improve network responsiveness, and streamline validator communication on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Building on the momentum of April’s Lorentz hardfork, which halved block times from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds, the Maxwell upgrade takes BSC’s performance to the next level.

On June 26, the blockchain platform revealed the potential development, poised to make revolutionary changes. The platform noted, “This isn’t just another upgrade—it’s a technical leap forward for faster blocks, better validator coordination, and smoother network performance.”

3 Key Proposals

With the Maxwell upgrade, BNB Chain introduces three pivotal proposals – BEP-524, BEP-563, and BEP-564 – to enhance its infrastructure. Each of these proposals concentrates on optimizing performance and scalability.

• BEP-524: This proposal, Shorter Block Times, intends to allow faster block intervals for near-instant transaction confirmations, thereby enhancing the DeFi and GameFi user experience. The platform noted, “We’re cutting block time in half—again. After Lorentz brought us from 3s → 1.5s, Maxwell takes it further to 0.75 seconds.”
• BEP-563- This Enhanced Validator Messaging proposal boosts validator consensus by streamlining peer-to-peer messaging, minimizing missed votes and sync delays. According to the blockchain team,
  

  “This BEP supports adding validator’s NodeID on the system contract, so the validators can identify each other in the p2p network and forward messages more efficiently. This reduces the risk of missed votes or delayed proposals—key for hitting that 0.75s target.”

• BEP-564- The third proposal, Better Block Fetching, accelerates data syncing between validator nodes by introducing two new message types: GetBlocksByRangeMsg and RangeBlocksMsg. This update permits nodes to request and share block data using a more efficient message structure. “It improves syncing and reduces latency during propagation—meaning blocks reach everyone faster, even under network pressure.”

Will BNB Chain Upgrade Challenge XRPL?

Interestingly, the enhanced features of the BNB Chain with this latest upgrade have sparked enthusiasm within the crypto space as it is poised to challenge major blockchain players like the XRP Ledger (XRPL).

Recently, CoinGape reported XRPL’s software upgrade 2.5.0. While XRPL still processes transactions in 3-5 seconds, BNB Chain has significantly reduced its transaction time to just 0.8 seconds.

Meanwhile, BNB Chain and XRPL introduce distinct features that complement each other, rather than directly competing. Notably, the XRPL update brings two key features: Batch Transactions and Token Escrow. Batch transactions enable mass payments and token distribution for institutional use cases. Token Escrow allows for efficient vesting and payout systems and effective user deposit management for dApps, supporting RLUSD and other assets. “In addition, a lot of helpful fixes and improvements to make the XRPL software run better, more efficient, and stable than before,” stated Vet, an XRPL validator.

While BNB Chain’s upgrade prioritizes speed and network performance, XRPL’s update concentrates on functionality enhancements.