BNB Chain to launch application-specific sidechains to reduce network strain

BNB Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain founded by crypto exchange Binance, plans to introduce sidechains to cut the cost and increase the speed of transactions for resource intense applications such as gaming. 

The BNB Chain Application Sidechain (BAS) will let developers port data and assets from BNB Chain, reducing strain on the network’s limited transactional resources, a Binance spokesperson told The Block in a statement, without specifying when the sidechains will launch. These sidechains will also be application-specific, meaning individual sidechains will focus on specific use cases.

“The BAS is an infrastructure introduced to help developers and node operators build and run their own blockchain as their internal value system for a massive number of users while still maintaining a close connection with BNB Chain,”  the spokesperson said.

In February 2022, when BNB Chain rebranded to its current name, the team said it planned to embrace large-scale applications in areas like GameFi, SocialFi and the Metaverse. Sidechains may be instrumental in achieving that goal.

Besides hosting BNB Chain-compatible dApps, BAS will also have the freedom to operate independently. So teams could pick their validator set for security needs rather than relying on the mainnet protocol. Finally, any development team will be able to deploy their own BAS on the network, the spokesperson added. 

A good comparison to BAS is Ronin, a sidechain on Ethereum dedicated solely to Axie Infinity’s play-to-earn game. Other Layer 1 blockchains like Polkadot, Avalanche and Cosmos also have application-specific chains for their ecosystem, but those may not necessarily be considered sidechains. A few teams working on on BNB Chain, will soon come out with technical details on the very first BAS testnet that will focus on GameFi.