BNB Smart Chain is one of the most popular decentralized ecosystems in 2025. Due to its affiliation with the Binance exchange and proximity to Ethereum, many builders choose to launch projects on the BNB Smart Chain. In this guide, you will learn about the most popular BNB Smart Chain projects and how to stay safe while interacting with them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
➤ BNB Smart Chain is a leading EVM-compatible blockchain with a thriving ecosystem across DeFi, NFTs, and AI sectors.
➤ Top BNB Smart Chain projects include PancakeSwap, Four.meme, NFPrompt, Lista DAO, and Venus.
➤ Users should stay vigilant against risks such as MEV exploitation, scams, hacks, and smart contract bugs when interacting with DApps.
➤ Choosing audited projects, using trusted protocols, and starting with small transactions can help minimize exposure to potential vulnerabilities.
Top BNB Smart Chain projects
1. PancakeSwap
An anonymous group of developers created PancakeSwap in 2020. It is the premier decentralized exchange on the BNB Chain, is known for its low fees, and is a fork of the Uniswap DEX. PancakeSwap allows you to swap, trade, yield farm, and more. It utilizes an automated market maker (AMM) model to maintain liquidity pools and supports BEP-20 tokens (the BNB Chain’s equivalent to ERC-20 tokens).
• Prediction market
• Lottery
• Syrup Pools for staking
• Initial Farm Offering (IFO) launchpad
Four.meme is a token launchpad on the BNB Chain with a particular focus on launching meme coins. Aside from the presumably pseudonymous name of its co-founder, Ed, little is known about its origins or mechanics. It is similar to the Pump.fun token launchpad in that once the bonding curve reaches 100%, tokens are then listed on PancakeSwap.
• MEV protection
• Launchpad and exchange
• Open access
• Fair launch mechanism
3. NFPrompt
NFPrompt (Non-Fungible Prompt) is a web3 content creation platform that combines artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to empower users. With it, you can create, own, and monetize AI-generated digital content as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Users can generate a variety of digital assets — including images, videos, profile pictures (PFPs), music, animations, and 3D models — by entering prompts.
• AI-powered content creation
• Marketplace and monetization
• Multimedia support
• No wallet required
Lista DAO, backed up by Binance Lab, utilizes and expands upon the MakerDAO model to create a decentralized, collateral-backed stablecoin. Through a combination of liquid staking tokens (LSTs), liquid restaking tokens (LRTs), and other collateral types, Lista attempts to avoid issues such as frozen funds or “death spirals” associated with stablecoins.
• Create CDPs to receive stablecoin
• Liquid staking for BNB (slisBNB)
• Multiple collateral types
• Use the LST token (lisUSD) as collateral
• Liquidity provider (LP) rewards
Venus Protocol, often shortened to Venus, is a lending and borrowing protocol on BNB Chain and other EVM-compatible blockchains. It is an algorithmic money market and synthetic stablecoin protocol that allows users to borrow, lend, and mint the VAI stablecoin through over-collateralized debt positions. Venus Protocol supports BEP-20 and wrapped tokens as collateral, which accrue interest.
• Over 14 security audits
• Built on EVM-compatible chains
• Isolated pools for volatile assets
• Community governance
• In-app bridging services
Top BNB Chain projects compared
| Projects | Category | Type | Token |
|---|---|---|---|
| PancakeSwap | DeFi | DEX | CAKE |
| Four.meme | Meme coins | Launchpad | N/A |
| NFPrompt | NFT, AI, social | Marketplace | NFP |
| Lista DAO | DeFi | Protocol | LISTA, lisUSD, and slisBNB |
| Venus | DeFi | Money market | XVS and VAI |
The aforementioned DApps were chosen due to a variety of factors. Among the considerations were total value locked (TVL), unique active wallets, protocol revenue and fees, and on-chain volume.
What is BNB Smart Chain?
BNB stands for “Build and Build.” The BNB Chain is the flagship blockchain of the Binance exchange, and with its utility token, BNB Coin, has created a flourishing ecosystem that rivals even that of Ethereum.
BNB Chain has undergone many changes throughout its lifetime, characterized by rebrands, upgrades, and more. Originally named Binance Chain, BNB Chain launched in 2019. The native coin, Binance Coin, launched on Ethereum in 2017 as an ERC-20 token. It eventually migrated to Binance Chain in 2019.
Binance Smart Chain (BSC) is a separate blockchain optimized for smart contracts and EVM-compatibility that launched in 2020. In 2022, the BSC and BNB chains merged and rebranded under the name BNB Chain:
- BNB Beacon Chain (formerly Binance Chain): Consensus layer that handles governance and staking.
- BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain): Execution layer that handles EMV-compatible smart contract execution.
The “merge” of Binance Chain and Binance Smart Chain into BNB Chain mirrored that of Ethereum’s merge and transition into Ethereum 2.0.
Additionally, Binance Coin was also rebranded to BNB Coin (BNB) as the native gas coin to BNB Chain. In terms of token standards, Binance Chain used the BEP-2 standards, while BSC used the BEP-20 standard.
In 2024, Binance eventually deprecated the BNB Beacon Chain. This was part of a larger initiative to consolidate its functionalities onto BSC. As a result, all functionalities on the Beacon Chain ceased and a token recovery tool integrated into Trust Wallet facilitated token migrations of supported assets.
How to stay safe using BNB Smart Chain projects
As stated previously, BNB Chain is an Ethereum Virtual Machine compatible blockchain; therefore, it is subject to similar risks. Likewise, BNB Chain DApps and protocols are subject to risks similar to those of Ethereum.
Maximal extractable value (MEV)
MEV or maximal extractable value is generally categorized as any strategy that manipulates transactions, blocks, or state to create profitable opportunities on the blockchain.
Most DeFi applications on EVM-compatible blockchains are subject to MEV, especially decentralized exchanges. While not all MEV strategies are toxic, some strategies do result in a poorer user experience through front-running or unfavorable pricing.
To mitigate this, users can trade through protocols that leverage off-chain order matching or app-specific sequencing, similar to what is seen in order flow auctions (OFA) or OTC-style services.
Rug pulls, scams, and hacks
Hacks, scams, and rug pulls are another concern for decentralized applications. This is not specific to BNB but is still a problem. Rug pulls and hacks come in many forms. While there isn’t a single, consistent way to avoid them, you can protect yourself by utilizing best practices for safe investing. Some of these may include:
- Only invest in projects with publicly known founders and team members
- Avoid projects without a proof of concept (PoC) or minimal viable product (MVP)
- Reduce your exposure to riskier projects
- Use official channels for new developments and addresses
Many of these tips may not apply to most of the established platforms. However, BNB Smart Chain projects like Four.meme, which launches meme coins, should be approached with caution. Token launchpads are notorious honeypots for meme coin scams.
Bugs
Bugs are unintended errors or vulnerabilities in a smart contract’s code that can cause it to behave incorrectly, expose funds to theft, or fail altogether. Even audited projects can contain bugs and zero-day vulnerabilities. While it’s difficult for most users to detect bugs directly, you can reduce your risk by:
- Utilizing audited projects
- Using DApps with open-source code
- Sticking to established protocols
- Using a small amount of funds initially
No approach is foolproof, but being cautious about the projects you interact with can significantly lower your risk.
One of the most popular EVM chains
BNB Chain is one of the oldest and most popular EVM chains in the market. As a result, it has accumulated many DApps, which have accrued billions of dollars in value. These applications cover many categories, including DeFi, AI, social media, and more. If you decide to interact with BNB Smart Chain projects, always exercise caution and limit your exposure to stay safe. As always, do your own research.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
BNB Smart Chain is the flagship blockchain of the Binance exchange. It was initially one half of the BNB Chain. Since the deprecation of the BNB Beacon Chain, BNB Smart Chain handles all execution and governance duties of the BNB Chain.
BNB Chain has many of the same DApps as Ethereum. Some of the most popular are PancakeSwap, Lista DAO, Four.meme, NFPrompt, and Venus. Many popular apps like Uniswap also exist on BNB, but were not initially created on BNB.
Binance is a global centralized cryptocurrency exchange. BNB stands for “Build and Build.” It is both an EVM-compatible blockchain and the native gas coin of the blockchain.
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