BNB Chain (BSC) is making bold moves to claim a larger share of the DeFi market, thanks to its latest Maxwell upgrade that significantly boosts block production speed. While Ethereum continues to lead in total value locked (TVL) and protocol revenue, BSC’s enhanced throughput raises a critical question: Can raw performance power translate into long-term ecosystem dominance?

BNB Chain Doubles Block Speed with Maxwell Upgrade

In a strategic push to improve user experience and transaction throughput, BNB Chain has reduced its block time from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds through the Maxwell upgrade. This allows the network to now produce up to 115,200 blocks per day—nearly eight times Ethereum’s projected output of 14,400 blocks under its planned Glamsterdam upgrade.

Currently, Ethereum operates with a 12-second block time and is expected to cut this down to 6 seconds by 2026. While this will be a significant improvement, BSC’s head start means it’s already ahead in terms of raw block output and transactional capacity.

This speed edge allows for faster transaction confirmation and more efficient dApp interactions—benefits that could potentially attract more users and developers to the chain.

On-Chain Data Highlights Growing BSC Adoption

The effects of Maxwell are already being felt across BNB Chain’s ecosystem. At the time of writing, BSC boasts over 2.04 million daily active addresses, nearly five times higher than Ethereum’s 411,000.

In terms of daily decentralized exchange (DEX) volume, BNB Chain is also seeing a surge. With $7.38 billion in 24-hour DEX volume compared to Ethereum’s $1.44 billion, BSC appears to be leading in day-to-day DeFi engagement.

This shift shows that Maxwell is doing more than just speeding up transactions—it’s creating tangible momentum across the network, particularly in user-driven activity like swaps, staking, and gaming.

But Ethereum Still Commands the Capital

Despite the growing user base and trading volume on BSC, Ethereum continues to dominate when it comes to deeper capital metrics. Total value locked across Ethereum-based DeFi protocols remains significantly higher than that on BNB Chain, indicating that while BSC may process more transactions, Ethereum handles more value.

Protocol revenue further reflects this divide. Ethereum leads in fee capture, suggesting that users are willing to pay more for services on the network—perhaps due to its established DeFi protocols and institutional-grade infrastructure.

This dichotomy underlines the broader positioning of both chains: BSC has optimized for scalability and accessibility, while Ethereum retains its role as the backbone for high-value DeFi applications.

Maxwell vs. Glamsterdam: A Race Toward DeFi Evolution

The upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade on Ethereum aims to reduce block time and improve user experience, without sacrificing decentralization. If successful, it could neutralize BSC’s current performance advantage and once again shift the competitive dynamics of the Layer-1 space.

However, BNB Chain has taken the initiative with Maxwell, offering a practical blueprint for performance-driven chain design. Its ability to process eight times more blocks per day gives it flexibility to accommodate high-frequency applications like gaming, real-time trading, and social apps—areas Ethereum is still optimizing for.

While Ethereum remains the network of choice for capital-intensive protocols, BSC is winning the adoption battle in terms of users and transactions. Both chains are therefore carving distinct, complementary roles in the evolving DeFi landscape.

The Bottom Line

BSC’s Maxwell upgrade has positioned it as a high-speed, high-engagement Layer-1 chain. Its performance edge is translating into greater user activity and growing DEX volume, even though Ethereum still holds the lead in TVL and revenue.

As Ethereum gears up for its own performance leap with Glamsterdam, the competition between these two DeFi powerhouses is expected to intensify. Whether speed or capital depth wins the long game will likely depend on how each chain balances decentralization, scalability, and real-world utility.