BNB overtakes SOL to become fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap
Due to a number of planned advancements in the BNB Chain’s 2025 roadmap, BNB has surpassed SOL to become the fifth largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
In the past 24 hours, BNB’s market capitalization has risen by 12% to $104 billion, while Solana’s has decreased by 0.1% to $95 billion. Additionally, on-chain metrics have improved. Transaction fees have increased by 115% in the past week due to a rise in user activity on BNB Chain. This stands in stark contrast to other blockchains where fees have declined, such as Solana, Ethereum, and Base.
The surge in BNB’s price and user activity resulted from the announcement of major upgrades on the BNB Chain. According to BNB Chain’s 2025 roadmap, the network’s focus will be on enhancing performance and improving user experience.
One of the most notable changes is a plan to reduce block latency from three seconds to under one second, allowing faster transaction processing. The network also intends to introduce gasless transactions. Users will be able to utilize stablecoins or other BEP-20 tokens to pay transaction fees for gasless transactions.
The release of smart wallets with AI capabilities is another significant development. AI-powered smart wallets are expected to improve experience for both new and experienced users. Managing keys, completing several transactions at once, and paying for gas will be simpler with these wallets. BNB Chain is also looking into AI tools that could help users manage their portfolios, compare prices, and automate trading.
In related news, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the founder of Binance, has sparked a fresh memecoin frenzy. CZ asked a simple question on X (formerly Twitter) to his 9.8 million followers, sparking rumors about a new memecoin. CZ has previously been a staunch critic of memecoins, noting that builders should focus on utility.
If CZ launches a memecoin, it could further boost BNB Chain’s on-chain activity and lead to a surge BNB’s price. So far, Solana has been the preferred chain for memecoins. CZ’s massive appeal to the crypto community could shift the scale in favor of BNB, at least in the short-term.
