BNB Chain launches sidechain BAS, focusing on GameFi development for the first time; Binance Cross-chain Bridge 2.0 debuts, helping users enter the DeFi space

In February of this year, Binance announced the renaming of its Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to BNB Chain, with plans to expand its large-scale applications in areas such as GameFi, SocialFi, and the metaverse. On the 29th, it released news about the application sidechain BAS and the Binance Cross-Chain Bridge 2.0, which will help alleviate network transaction pressure and integrate CeFi and DeFi assets.

BNB Chain Application Sidechain BAS

The BNB Chain foundational projects Ankr, CelerNetwork, and NodeReal have joined forces to launch the first BNB Chain Application Sidechain (BAS) testnet, establishing a framework for creating sidechains within the BNB Chain ecosystem.

With the introduction of BAS, developers will significantly increase throughput and reduce transaction costs when building large-scale applications based on the BNB Chain. Serving as infrastructure, BAS enables developers and node operators to create and operate their own blockchains parallel to the BNB Chain.

Additionally, BAS allows deployers to set up their own validator set, customize Gas Fees, and issue their own BEP121 tokens. BAS will be executed in various ways, including PoS sidechains and ZKRollups, but initially based on a PoS network, with the first version optimized for GameFi.

Ankr, Celer, and NodeReal have all launched the first BAS testnet, currently open for dapp developers to use, and the internal cross-chain bridge between BAS and the BNB Chain is set to be released in mid-April.

If the concept of BAS is difficult to grasp, it can be compared to Ronin, a sidechain on Ethereum specifically designed for the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity.

Binance Cross-Chain Bridge 2.0

After discontinuing the original Binance Cross-Chain Bridge for several months, Binance has introduced a new version of the cross-chain bridge. The Binance Cross-Chain Bridge 2.0 is a new bridge that brings Ethereum native tokens onto the BNB Chain, allowing users to wrap non-BEP20 tokens into BToken and use them within the BNB Chain ecosystem.

The key feature of Binance Cross-Chain Bridge 2.0 is its direct usability on the Binance web and mobile platforms. When users cross-chain any asset listed on Binance, they can directly use them in their spot or futures wallet. However, if the asset being bridged is not listed on Binance, users will be guided to create a self-custody wallet where they hold the private keys, ensuring that no one can withhold or manage these BTokens.

BTokens are pegged 1:1 with the original assets, allowing users to swap them back to the original asset at any time or withdraw them to a BEP20-compatible wallet.

Binance's introduction of this cross-chain bridge aims to open the doors to DeFi for a wide range of users, making it easy for assets to move from centralized platforms to the decentralized world. The first dapp that can be used through the Binance Cross-Chain Bridge 2.0 is PancakeSwap, with more blockchains and dapps planned for the future.