BNB Chain Activates Pasteur Upgrade to Tighten Bridge Security

The Pasteur deployment integrates three core proposals—BEP-682, BEP-695, and BEP-675—to fortify the network's infrastructure. Most notably, BEP-682 addresses a verification flaw where duplicate validator entries could potentially inflate approval counts for cross-chain light blocks. By mandating that each approval must originate from a distinct validator, the update ensures that supermajority requirements are met by unique, authorized nodes rather than manipulated lists.

Validator governance also faces tighter restrictions under BEP-695. The update ensures that when an operator key is rotated, management rights for the old key are immediately revoked, preventing potential misuse. Furthermore, the change closes a loophole that allowed blacklisted addresses to bypass governance restrictions by submitting signatures through intermediary accounts. These measures ensure that slashing penalties remain tethered to the validator identity regardless of key rotation.

On the performance front, BEP-675 provides an optional route for block builders to submit pre-executed blocks. By removing the need for redundant transaction execution by validators, the network aims to optimize block capacity during high-demand periods. While testing on the QANet environment showed an 88% increase in throughput—reaching 2,324 transactions per second—the real-world impact on mainnet remains subject to builder adoption. Node operators were required to transition to client version 1.7.7 to support these changes, ensuring the network maintains synchronization following the transition.