- Fermi hardfork activates on testnet Nov. 10, 2025, with mainnet deployment pending community stress test results.
- The v1.6.2 release implements five Binance Evolution Proposals, including BEP-619 for reduced block intervals.
- New websocket RPC filter API and ProxyedNodeIds configuration enhance block propagation and network monitoring capabilities.
BNB Chain developers released bsc-node v1.6.2 on Oct. 31, enabling the Fermi hardfork across the Binance Smart Chain network. The software update implements changes designed to reduce block production time from 750 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds.
The faster block intervals aim to increase transaction processing capacity and reduce confirmation times for users, according to the v1.6.2 release notes. BNB Chain Devs announced the testnet activation on X, stating the upgrade would enhance network efficiency through shorter block production cycles.
Network Performance Enhancement
The 40% reduction in block time represents a continuation of BSC’s ongoing efforts to optimize its EVM-compatible blockchain infrastructure. The change affects the fundamental timing mechanism validators use to produce new blocks, allowing the network to process more transactions per second while maintaining security through its Proof-of-Stake Authority consensus model.
Testnet Rollout and Mainnet Timeline
The Fermi hardfork activates on the BSC testnet on Nov. 10, 2025, at 02:25 AM UTC. Validators must upgrade their nodes to v1.6.2 before this activation time to maintain network participation.
The mainnet deployment date remains unscheduled. BNB Chain developers stated the mainnet activation is “TBD” and depends on results from a community-led stress test on the testnet environment. The testing period will evaluate network stability under the reduced block intervals before production deployment.
Technical Implementation
The v1.6.2 release incorporates five Binance Evolution Proposals: BEP-590 for extended voting rules, BEP-619 for short block interval phase three, BEP-592 for block-level access lists, BEP-593 for incremental snapshots, and BEP-610 for EVM super instructions. BEP-619 specifically enables the 450-millisecond block time reduction.
The software update adds a websocket RPC filter API for monitoring transaction receipts and introduces ProxyedNodeIds configuration to improve block propagation between validators. The release removes several legacy flags beginning with “–light” that were used in previous versions. The Fermi upgrade follows recent BNB Chain ecosystem developments, including a $45M airdrop for memecoin traders and a partnership with BPN after a $50M investment.