BNB Chain Hard Fork Update: Node Operators Must Upgrade by April 28
BNB Chain has issued a critical network notice to node operators ahead of the April 28 “Osaka/Mendel” hard fork on BSC mainnet (April 28, 02:30 UTC). BNB Chain says the fork window has effectively started and that operators must upgrade to **BSC v1.7.2** before the deadline.
Key requirements from BNB Chain include:
- **Upgrade to BSC v1.7.2** (binary replacement is sufficient).
- **Clean up old configuration fields**.
- Missing these steps may cause nodes to **fall out of sync**, creating operational risk.
The Osaka/Mendel hard fork was previously activated on the BSC testnet on March 24 (block 88,379,325). On mainnet, the upgrade includes EIP-7825 via **BEP-652**, introducing a **protocol-level transaction gas limit cap** so nodes uniformly reject transactions above the limit—aimed at improving stability versus earlier optional soft caps.
BNB Chain also notes the broader Mendel upgrade includes **nine BEPs**: seven aligned with Ethereum’s Fusaka EIPs (six requiring hard fork changes, one client-side RPC update). Additional BSC-specific items mentioned include **BEP-657** (blob transaction inclusion rules by block number) and **BEP-648** (latency reduction and faster finality).
For traders, this is primarily a validator/infra maintenance event. However, any hard-fork timeline can drive short-term volatility around execution and liquidity as market participants watch for network health.
Neutral
This is a network-operations update rather than a tokenomics or policy change. BNB Chain’s mandatory validator instruction (upgrade to BSC v1.7.2, binary replacement, and config cleanup) is designed to prevent nodes from falling out of sync during the Osaka/Mendel hard fork. Historically, hard-fork readiness notices tend to have limited direct impact on price unless they coincide with outages, unexpected bugs, or major execution failures.
Short term, the event can create mild market positioning/hedging around the fork timestamp as traders monitor block production, transaction finality, and liquidity on BNB Chain. If upgrade execution is smooth, the effect usually fades quickly after the fork. Long term, the protocol-level gas limit cap (via EIP-7825/BEP-652) and other Mendel improvements may modestly support network stability, but they are unlikely to immediately shift market fundamentals.
Given the information provided, the expected market impact is neutral: more a technical risk-management catalyst for infrastructure than a driver of sustained bullish or bearish repricing.