$BNB refers to *Binance Coin*, the native cryptocurrency of the *Binance* exchange and *Binance Smart Chain (BSC)*. Initially launched as an ERC-20 token on the *Ethereum network*, *BNB* is now an integral part of the Binance ecosystem and is primarily used for a variety of purposes within the Binance exchange and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications built on the *Binance Smart Chain*.

Key Points About *BNB*:

1. *Binance Coin (BNB) Overview*:

- *Launch Date*: BNB was launched in *2017* during an *Initial Coin Offering (ICO)*, where it was offered to the public to raise funds for the development of the *Binance exchange*.

- *Total Supply*: There is a maximum supply of *200 million BNB* coins, though Binance has implemented a *quarterly coin burn* mechanism, reducing the supply over time to make the token more scarce and potentially increase its value.

- *Current Use Cases*: BNB is used primarily for transactions within the Binance ecosystem, but its utility has expanded significantly with the rise of *Binance Smart Chain* (BSC)