Published On: Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:48:58 GMT

BSC’s Fermi Hard Fork Set to Go Live on January 14

The BNB Smart Chain (BSC) is preparing for the Fermi hard fork, the update will go live on January 14, 2026, at 02:30 AM UTC.

Sahil Thakur News Altcoin

Dec 30, 2025

Author: Sahil Thakur

30th December 2025 – The BNB Smart Chain (BSC) is preparing for a major network upgrade. Known as the Fermi hard fork, the update will go live on January 14, 2026, at 02:30 AM UTC. This upgrade is designed to improve performance, reduce transaction latency, and strengthen network efficiency.

Key Takeaways

The BNB Smart Chain Fermi hard fork will go live on January 14, 2026, at 02:30 AM UTC.
The upgrade includes five BEPs focused on reducing latency, boosting throughput, and improving EVM performance.
Block time will be reduced from 750ms to 450ms, enabling faster confirmation and better support for DeFi, trading, and gaming.
All validators and node operators must upgrade to versions v1.6.4 or v1.6.5 before the deadline to stay in sync with the network.

What Is the Fermi Hard Fork?

Fermi is a mandatory and backward-incompatible hard fork. That means all nodes must upgrade by the activation time. Those that do not will fall out of sync with the network.

The upgrade has already been tested on the BSC testnet, which activated the fork on November 10, 2025. Now, the focus shifts to the mainnet implementation.

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Key Technical Upgrades

The Fermi fork introduces five major changes through a series of Binance Evolution Proposals (BEPs). These aim to boost speed, lower latency, and streamline node operations. Here’s a breakdown:

BEP-590: Strengthens the voting mechanism for block confirmations. This helps improve finality even when the network is under high stress.

The Talk

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@BNBCHAIN Shorter blocks usually surface longer debates

Reminder: the Fermi Hard Fork upgrade is scheduled on the BSC mainnet to reduce block interval from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds. Activation details: 🔸 Date & Time: 14 Jan 2026, 02:30 AM (UTC) 🔸 Supported Releases: v1.6.4 and v1.6.5 Action required: All validators and https://t.co/1n1914Uc5I

04:56 AM·Dec 30, 2025

@BNBCHAIN nice on the heads up. anyone not running the supported version gonna feel this for sure.

01:35 AM·Dec 30, 2025

@BNBCHAIN Cutting block times to 450ms is a serious performance upgrade. Speed is the ultimate feature.

12:01 AM·Dec 30, 2025

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BEP-619: Reduces the block time from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds. This significantly increases transaction throughput.

BEP-592: Adds a non-consensus-based access list for each block. This optimizes execution without affecting consensus.

BEP-593: Implements incremental snapshots. This makes node recovery and syncing faster and less resource-intensive.

BEP-610: Introduces new EVM super instructions. These enhance execution for smart contracts and complex dApps.

Together, these upgrades aim to make BSC more efficient for high-frequency use cases like trading, stablecoin transfers, and liquidations.

BSC Upgrades So Far In 2025

      BNB Smart Chain (BSC) / BNB Chain Hard Fork Upgrades
    
Upgrade
Key Changes
Date / Notes
Pascal

        Enhanced Ethereum compatibility and smart wallet support (EVM upgrades, gas abstraction, cryptography improvements)
      
        Mainnet: March 20, 2025

        Testnet: February 25, 2025
      
Lorentz

        Reduced block time to 1.5 seconds and improved validator sync / performance
      
        Mainnet: April 29, 2025

        Testnet: April 8, 2025
      
Maxwell

        Further block interval reduction to about 0.75 seconds and validator/network efficiency improvements
      
        Mainnet: June 30, 2025
      
Upcoming / Testnet

        Next-phase upgrades focused on faster block times and consensus improvements
      
        Testnet milestones in late 2025 — mainnet schedule TBD

Who Needs to Upgrade?

Only node operators, validators, and developers need to take action. They must upgrade to client version v1.6.4 or v1.6.5 before January 14 to stay in sync. The previous testnet version was v1.6.2.

Regular users and dApp users do not need to take any action.

Shorter block times will improve BSC’s performance across all key metrics. Confirmations will be faster. Transaction costs will remain stable. Network efficiency will improve without altering gas fees or tokenomics.

Faster block production could attract more DeFi, gaming, and trading applications. Developers and institutions may also benefit from the better performance and stability.

If nodes fail to upgrade in time, they could experience desynchronization. There’s also a temporary risk of validator strain as the network adjusts to the new 450ms block interval. However, several BEPs aim to reduce that impact.

Post-fork, BSC will monitor throughput, latency, and error rates to ensure the upgrade delivers as expected.

Final Preparation

BNB Chain has published detailed instructions for all node operators. Anyone participating in network consensus must follow the configuration changes before the deadline. The documentation also outlines testing protocols and safety checks.

The Fermi hard fork represents another major step in BSC’s push for scalable, low-latency blockchain infrastructure. With the upgrade, BSC aims to strengthen its position in the competitive Layer-1 space, especially for high-throughput dApps and DeFi ecosystems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Fermi hard fork?

It is a major upgrade to the BNB Smart Chain designed to reduce block time, improve execution efficiency, and strengthen network performance.

When will the Fermi upgrade go live?

The upgrade will activate on January 14, 2026, at 02:30 AM UTC on the BSC mainnet. The testnet upgrade was already completed in November 2025.

What are the main changes introduced by this upgrade?

The upgrade reduces block intervals to 450ms, adds new EVM instructions, improves snapshot syncing, and optimizes access lists. These are implemented through five BEPs.

Do I need to do anything as a regular user or dApp user?

No. Regular users do not need to take any action. The changes are at the protocol and validator level.

What versions are required for node operators and validators?

Validators and full node operators must upgrade to v1.6.4 or v1.6.5 before the mainnet activation. Failing to upgrade may result in desynchronization.

Will this upgrade affect gas fees or tokenomics?

No. There will be no changes to gas fees, block size, or tokenomics. The upgrade only improves speed and network performance.

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BSC’s Fermi Hard Fork Set to Go Live on January 14

Key Takeaways

What Is the Fermi Hard Fork?

Key Technical Upgrades

The Talk

Related reads

Fetching related reads

BSC Upgrades So Far In 2025

Who Needs to Upgrade?

Why It Matters

Potential Risks

Final Preparation

Frequently Asked Questions

Trusted

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