BNB Chain Activates Osaka/Mendel Hard Fork: Faster Finality, Predictable Gas, and Enhanced Stability

[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, UAE, April 28th, 2026] BNB Chain today announced the successful activation of the Osaka/Mendel hard fork, a targeted network upgrade comprising nine BNB Evolution Proposals (BEPs). The upgrade combines six selected Ethereum EIPs with two BNB Chain-specific improvements, all chosen for their proven impact on execution efficiency, stability, and usability under real-world conditions. Building on the performance gains introduced by the Fermi and Maxwell upgrades, Osaka/Mendel refines how the network behaves when blocks are produced in under a second. By addressing small inefficiencies that become critical at high throughput – such as gas spikes, heavy computation, and inconsistent execution, the upgrade delivers more predictable gas pricing, tighter execution limits, and faster, more reliable transaction finality. Key enhancements include: More predictable gas and execution: Upper bounds on computationally heavy operations (including modular exponentiation), caps on per-transaction gas limits, and refined gas cost schedules that better reflect actual resource usage. These changes reduce unexpected behavior for developers and ensure consistent transaction outcomes for users, even during periods of peak activity. Small but powerful engine improvements: Introduction of the CLZ opcode for counting leading zeros, providing developers with a more efficient low-level tool without altering application-level behavior. Stable blocks under pressure: A clear cap on block size prevents overly heavy blocks, maintaining consistent processing performance as network activity scales. Better real-world cryptography support: Updated gas costs for secp256r1 operations, simplifying integration with external systems and non-Ethereum cryptographic standards. Two BNB Chain-specific upgrades further differentiate the network: Blob transactions are now limited by block number, preventing large data-heavy payloads from degrading block performance. Fast Finality has been...