BNB Chain Unveils New Layer-1 Blockchain for AI and High-Frequency Trading

Developers indicated that current blockchain infrastructure is not adequately prepared for AI agents to engage in crypto trading. The new layer-1 blockchain is specifically engineered to handle high-frequency trading, automated payments, and transactions initiated by AI. This new network will operate in conjunction with the existing BNB Chain blockchain. The technical roadmap for the second half of 2026 details the new network's development.

The new network is designed to process over 100,000 transactions per second through simultaneous transaction processing and improvements in data storage and verification. Developers aim to confirm transactions in under 50 milliseconds and finalize blocks in less than one second. A key component of this new layer-1 is TxStream, which bypasses the public mempool by sending transactions directly to block leaders, thereby reducing latency and mitigating front-running.

Previous upgrades to BNB Smart Chain in the first half of 2026 reduced block intervals from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds, increasing benchmark throughput from approximately 2,800 transactions per second to 5,200. The next phase of development will concentrate on further increasing throughput and reducing inter-application congestion.

BNB Chain is also conducting research into quantum-resistant security to address potential future threats from quantum computers. This research explores quantum-safe protections through account abstraction, which would allow security upgrades without requiring changes to wallet addresses. The quantum security research is currently in its initial phase, with a focus on testing hybrid protections and developing methods for users to adopt quantum-safe security without altering their wallet addresses. BNB Chain stated that its infrastructure would be prepared for the maturation of quantum computing.

The development of infrastructure for AI agents to conduct autonomous financial transactions is an ongoing trend within the crypto and technology sectors. In March, Tempo, with support from Stripe, launched its payments-focused layer-1 blockchain and the Machine Payments Protocol for AI agent transactions. Also in March, MoonPay released the Open Wallet Standard, a framework enabling AI agents to manage funds and execute cross-blockchain transactions, with contributors including PayPal, the Ethereum Foundation, the Solana Foundation, and Ripple. In May, Amazon Web Services collaborated with Coinbase and Stripe to introduce Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments, which allows AI agents to utilize USDC stablecoins for API, data feed, and online service payments. In June, Coinbase launched Coinbase for Agents, a tool designed to enable AI agents to trade crypto, make payments, and manage portfolios within user-defined limits.