BNB Chain Powers Through Q1 2025 With Lending, Stablecoins, and Builder Incentives

While broader market activity cooled in Q1 2025, BNB Chain delivered consistent growth across its ecosystem by focusing on tokenomics, expanding DeFi infrastructure, fueling stablecoin utility, and empowering developers with robust incentive programs. In a climate where many projects treaded water, BNB Chain doubled down on real-world usability and sustainable on-chain economics.

Reinforcing Tokenomics with Strategic Burns

The 31st BNB burn, completed in mid-April, eliminated over 1.5 million BNB worth more than $915 million, marking another chapter in the network’s ongoing commitment to automated, predictable supply control. This event aligned with BNB’s long-term tokenomics strategy to ensure scarcity and value preservation without abrupt policy shifts.

Now in its fifth year, the auto-burn mechanism continues to send a clear message to the market: BNB Chain is committed to disciplined supply-side economics, even in quieter quarters.

BNB also maintained strong momentum on both centralized and decentralized platforms:

• It remained one of the most actively traded tokens on CEXs.

• On PancakeSwap, BNB ranked among the top assets by trading volume.

• The rise of ListaDAO’s decentralized staking and lending significantly boosted BNB’s utility and on-chain activity.

Lending Soars with ListaDAO Launch

In Q1, BNB Chain’s DeFi landscape got a major boost from the launch of Lista Lending, part of ListaDAO. With an initial $10 million BNB cap fully borrowed within an hour of launch, the platform quickly demonstrated user appetite for secure, decentralized lending.

Within four days:

• Total deposits surged past $189 million

• Borrowing topped $120 million

The traction even earned a repost from Binance founder CZ, reinforcing community confidence and visibility.

Building Momentum: Programs, Incentives, and Developer Tools

BNB Chain didn’t just focus on metrics — it focused on builders.

Key Q1 initiatives included:

• MVB (Most Valuable Builder) Accelerator, BNB AI Hack Hackathon, and BNB Demo Day (formerly BNB Incubation Alliance), offering grants, mentorship, and exposure to early-stage projects.

• Rolling applications for MVB ensure developers can onboard anytime, maintaining momentum across the year.

• Next BNB Demo Day will be hosted in Dubai, aligning with Token2049, opening doors for global visibility.

Additionally, a revamped $100 million liquidity incentive program helped reduce slippage and improve DeFi user experience:

• The program transitioned to a direct token acquisition model, prioritizing long-term support over unsustainable yield farming.

• A $4.4 million liquidity pool fund was deployed strategically to bootstrap key markets.

Zero Gas for Stablecoins and Real-World Transfers

BNB Chain’s Zero Gas Fee initiative brought stablecoin usage closer to real-world adoption:

• Users were reimbursed over $3 million in fees for using stablecoins like FDUSD, USDC, and USDT.

• USD1, the World Liberty Financial USD backed by U.S. treasuries and cash, saw explosive adoption:

• 113M USD1 tokens circulating on BNB Smart Chain by mid-April.

• Market cap neared $128 million

• Daily trading volumes approached $100 million

On PancakeSwap v3, USD1 achieved a TVL of $10.9 million, contributing significantly to the platform’s stablecoin liquidity pool. BNB Chain has quickly become a hub for low-cost stablecoin payments, with real traction in retail and cross-border use cases.