BNB Chain to Implement Pasteur Hard Fork on Aug 25 with v1.7.7 Upgrade

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BNB Chain will implement the Pasteur hard fork on BNB Smart Chain as part of hard fork news, scheduled for 02:30 UTC on Aug. 25, 2026. The v1.7.7 upgrade includes three BEP proposals to improve bridge and validator security, and boost block-processing capacity. All BSC mainnet nodes must upgrade to the new client before activation. Node operators are advised to replace their BSC binary and adjust settings to avoid downtime. The changes aim to enhance cross-chain transfers, validator governance, and block production efficiency. Testing on QANet showed improved throughput and reduced processing times. This on-chain news affects node operators only, with no impact on regular users or dApp teams.

BNB Chain will flip the Pasteur hard fork on BNB Smart Chain at 02:30 UTC on Aug. 25, 2026. The mandatory network upgrade — delivered as three BEP proposals — tightens bridge and validator security and increases how much useful work each block can carry. Quick take - Activation: 02:30 UTC, Aug. 25, 2026 (mainnet). - Requirement: All BSC mainnet nodes must run client v1.7.7 before activation. - Impact for users/devs: Regular users and most dApp teams don’t need to move funds or change app code; node operators must upgrade. - Focus: stronger cross-chain validation, tougher validator governance rules, and higher block-processing capacity. What’s changing (the BEPs) - BEP-682 — safer cross-chain transfers: BSC will validate blocks from other chains by checking validator signatures before accepting them. Duplicate validator entries in a submitted set will be rejected, preventing a malicious set from overstating voting power and ensuring the required supermajority is genuine. - BEP-695 — validator governance & key rotation: When validators rotate consensus keys, their old keys will lose administrative authority and any pending slash/eviction actions will follow to the new key. This closes a potential escape route where a validator might avoid punishment by switching keys. The proposal also blocks blacklisted addresses from using signature-based governance to bypass direct-vote restrictions. - BEP-675 — block production path optimization: Builders can submit fully executed blocks for validators to check and sign, moving expensive verification out of the critical, time-sensitive production path. That gives block producers more time to fill blocks with transactions. Performance signals from testing - On QANet (an internal testnet reflecting BSC’s cross-region validator setup), Pasteur’s new path reduced critical-path processing from ~125 ms to ~15 ms. - Average block gas used in tests rose from 46.35M to 84.15M (against the existing 100M limit). - Throughput in tests jumped from ~1,237 to ~2,324 tps. Block interval (450 ms) and finality lag did not change. - BNB Chain warns these numbers are from controlled testing; mainnet gains are not guaranteed until observed in live traffic. Operational notes for node operators - Replace your BSC binary with v1.7.7 before activation or your node will not be compatible. - Remove [Eth] EnableBAL from config.toml (failure to do so prevents the updated client from starting). - It’s recommended to remove [TxPool] OverflowPoolSlots (the client will ignore it if left). - Several command-line flags are deprecated/inactive: --journalfile, --enablebal, --txpool.overflowpoolslots. - Builders using the new executed-block path must operate full nodes. Legacy block-bid workflows remain available but give less time to fill blocks. Background and context Pasteur is a security-and-capacity-focused upgrade rather than a block-time reduction. It’s been running on BSC testnet since July 21, and the mainnet rollout on Aug. 25 will let operators and developers verify whether the QANet performance gains translate to live traffic. The protocol- and system-contract-level changes affect staking and governance behavior but don’t require application migrations. What to watch - Mainnet performance vs. QANet results. - Behavior of cross-chain bridge flows after stricter validation. - Smoothness of key-rotation governance and whether pending slashes/evictions follow validators correctly. If you run a BSC node: upgrade to v1.7.7 and adjust the noted config flags now to avoid downtime at activation.

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