YZi Labs on Wednesday announced a $1 billion builder fund to support startups and founders operating in the BNB Chain ecosystem, including projects in decentralized finance (DeFi), artificial intelligence (AI), and real-world assets (RWA).
The fund is designed to provide funding, technical support, and access to a user base of over 460 million, enabling developers to scale products and integrate with BNB Chain infrastructure.
The announcement coincides with a series of milestones for BNB Chain, which recently recorded 26 million daily transactions, became the top network in decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume, and saw its native token BNB reach new all-time highs above $1,330 on October 7.
A May hardfork, Maxwell, reduced block times to 0.75 seconds and lowered fees to 0.05 Gwei, further improving network performance and attracting builders.
Starting October 2025, the Most Valuable Builder (MVB) program, BNB Chain’s flagship accelerator, will operate as a dedicated track within YZi Labs’ EASY Residency program.
Selected projects can access up to $500,000 in funding, direct support from YZi Labs and BNB Chain teams, and connections to the global network of mentors, investors, and institutional partners.
Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, said, “Through this $1B BNB Builder Fund, YZi Labs is committed to supporting BNB builders across sectors such as DeFi, AI, RWA, and DeSci, enabling them to develop the next generation of open systems.”
YZi Labs has previously backed multiple BNB ecosystem projects, including PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Aster, and Aspecta, and has facilitated institutional engagement through initiatives such as the BNB Digital Asset Treasury and the BNB Yield Fund. The firm manages over $10 billion in global assets and has incubated more than 65 portfolio companies across Web3, AI, and biotech sectors.
Applications for the EASY Residency MVB track are open on a rolling basis, allowing founders to access funding, mentorship, and technical support while building on BNB Chain’s scalable and low-cost infrastructure.