YZi Labs launches $1B Builder Fund to support BNB Chain projects

YZi Labs, formerly Binance Labs, has launched a $1 billion Builder Fund to accelerate innovation within the BNB ecosystem.

The initiative targets founders building on BNB Chain. It will support projects in decentralized finance, artificial intelligence, real-world assets, biotech, and decentralized science.

The move comes as BNB’s ( BNB ) network activity and price reach record levels, reflecting growing developer and user engagement.

Expanding builder support on BNB Chain

In its Oct. 8 announcement , YZi Labs said the new fund would offer both financial and technical support to teams building on BNB Chain’s fast and low-cost infrastructure. The program integrates with the EASY Residency accelerator and will now include BNB Chain’s Most Valuable Builder initiative as a dedicated track.

Builders accepted into the program can receive up to $500,000 in direct funding, along with access to YZi Labs’ network of mentors, investors, and technical experts.

To help founders connect globally, YZi Labs is also expanding its residency operations to New York, San Francisco, Dubai, and Singapore. The firm manages over $10 billion in assets and has supported more than 300 projects in 25 countries, including PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Aster, and Aspecta.

Strengthening the BNB ecosystem

The launch follows several strong quarters for BNB Chain. The network now processes about 26 million transactions per day and leads in both decentralized exchange trading volume and daily active users.

BNB itself reached a new all-time high above $1,330 on Oct. 7. Recent upgrades, such as the Maxwell hardfork , improved performance further by cutting block times and reducing gas fees, making BNB Chain one of the most efficient major blockchains.

Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, described BNB as “a living network with global reach and onchain depth,” adding that the fund’s mission is to back founders building tools that connect blockchain technology to real-world use.

The project marks another phase in the development of BNB Chain into a scalable platform for decentralized applications that support the emerging technology, finance, and artificial intelligence industries. 

Applications for the EASY Residency and MVB Track are open, inviting builders to join the next phase of growth within the BNB ecosystem.