#BSCProjectSpotlight

**BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain)**

- **What is it?**

A blockchain platform created by the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. It operates in parallel with **Binance Chain**, but supports smart contracts and is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing developers to easily migrate projects from Ethereum.

- **Purpose**:

To provide fast and cheap transactions (fees are significantly lower than on Ethereum) for DeFi, NFTs, games, and other dApps.

- **BNB Token**:

The native token of the network used for paying fees, staking, and governance.

- **Features**:

- Consensus mechanism: **Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA)**.

- High throughput (up to ~100 transactions per second).

- Centralization: criticized for the small number of validators (21 active), which reduces decentralization.

- **Popular projects**: PancakeSwap, Venus, Alien Worlds.

Binance ecosystem (exchange, Trust Wallet, etc.).