Binance Rebrands Its Blockchain in Overture to Decentralization

The rebranding is to stress its independence and deemphasize Binance’s role going forward, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said

article-image

Source: Binance

share
  • BNB, formerly Binance Coin, now stands for “Build and Build” as the blockchain token for the BNB chain
  • “Binance doesn’t own the chain, it’s just a contributor in the community and will continue to do so, but the BNB chain is completely running on its own,” Zhao said

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has rebranded the blockchain powering its platform in a bid to emphasize decentralization.

In the move, Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao said in a webinar Tuesday that Binance Smart Chain (BSC) is now BNB Chain.

“People always think of Binance Smart Chain, because it carries the Binance word, as something owned by Binance,” Zhao said. “We’ve done a lot of work to decentralize it, and we also realize BNB is beyond Binance. It’s bigger than Binance…BNB is its own living, breathing ecosystem with the BNB Chain.”

Meanwhile, the SEC is examining the relationship between Binance’s US arm and two trading firms, Sigma Chain AG and Merit Peak Ltd., that have ties to Zhao, people familiar with the probe told The Wall Street Journal.

When the exchange’s blockchain was launched 18 months ago, its creators didn’t consider its Binance branding for what was then just an experiment, according to Samy Karim, who holds the title of BNB Chain coordinator.

“When we started off, we definitely didn’t expect BSC, now BNB chain, to grow to where it is today,” Karim said. “It shows the level of underserved demand there really was, and this type of infrastructure really helped to drive massive new user growth in decentralized applications that wasn’t really happening before.”

BNB, formerly Binance Coin, now stands for “Build and Build” as the blockchain token for the BNB chain.

The chain is a community-driven, decentralized blockchain powered by the token and consists of BNB Beacon Chain and BNB Smart Chain (BSC), which is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). As of Tuesday, the total value locked (TVL) in BNB was 25 billion, according to BSCProject data

The rebranding is to stress its independence and deemphasize Binance’s role going forward, Zhao said. 

“BSC, now BNB, was an experimental product that we initially contributed to and helped with the initial funding, but now it’s community driven, open sourced and decentralized,” Zhao said. “Binance doesn’t own the chain, it’s just a contributor in the community and will continue to do so, but the BNB chain is completely running on its own. It’s not run by us or anyone else,” he added. 


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

Swiss regulator Gespa is assessing whether FIFA’s tokenized ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup violate gambling laws

by Blockworks /
article-image

The deal gives Ondo Finance SEC-registered broker-dealer, ATS, and transfer agent licenses to operate regulated tokenized securities markets

by Blockworks /
article-image

Ethereum and Solana funds mark industry first as Grayscale adds staking to spot crypto products

by Blockworks /
article-image

US bitcoin ETFs that seen more than $2.2 billion of net inflows over the last four trading days

by Blockworks /
article-image

More than 75 million U.S. Galaxy owners gain integrated Coinbase One access through Samsung Wallet, with global rollout planned

by Blockworks /
article-image

The central bank signed agreements with firms for fraud, payments, and app services ahead of a potential launch

by Blockworks /