BNB Chain’s Binance Smart Chain is set to undergo its Pasteur hardfork on August 25, 2026, at 02:30 UTC, requiring every node operator on the network to upgrade to client version 1.7.7. The upgrade bundles cross-chain security fixes, staking governance hardening, and system contract changes designed to push the network closer to doubling its mainnet throughput.
What Pasteur actually changes
The hardfork is organized under a single umbrella proposal called BEP-673, which bundles two distinct improvements into one coordinated activation.
The first is BEP-682, which targets a specific vulnerability in CometBFT light client validation. Right now, it’s theoretically possible for duplicate validators to slip through the verification process used by cross-chain bridges. BEP-682 closes that gap by explicitly rejecting duplicate bridge validators.
The second component is BEP-695, focused on staking and governance security. The specifics center on tightening validator key rules so that the mechanisms governing who participates in consensus, and under what conditions, are harder to game.
