# Blockchain&#x20;

### What is Binance Smart Chain? <a href="#contentref_0" id="contentref_0"></a>

Since it [came on the scene in 2017](https://cointelegraph.com/news/keep-calm-and-work-hard-the-story-of-binances-ceo-from-a-to-cz), Binance has gone from a crypto exchange with an ERC-20 asset to an ecosystem of components housed under the Binance brand name. Binance has produced products and solutions to serve a number of purposes, such as crypto loans and peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading.&#x20;

Included under Binance’s brand umbrella are two separate but parallel blockchains available for building: Binance Chain (BC) and Binance Smart Chain (BSC).&#x20;

Where do the two networks stack up in terms of Binance Chain versus Binance Smart Chain? In short, Binance Smart Chain launched after Binance Chain as a blockchain hosting greater functionality for developers building solutions. For example, BSC is smart contract compatible, while BC is not.&#x20;

BSC and BC run parallel to each other. Binance Coin ([BNB](https://cointelegraph.com/binance-coin-price-index)), Binance’s crypto asset, is used as payment for fees on both blockchains (in addition to playing other roles in Binance’s ecosystem). Moving between BC and BSC requires a bridge called Binance Bridge.&#x20;

The Binance Bridge intends to make multiple blockchains more interoperable. It allows anyone to exchange their crypto assets into (and back from) Binance Chain and Binance Smart Chain wrapped tokens.&#x20;

Wrapped tokens allow users to use coins and other blockchains on another chain, like Binance Smart Chain. Binance Bridge, for example, can facilitate the cross-chain conversion of Ethereum ERC-20 to Binance BEP-20, for example, if you move Tether ([USDT](https://cointelegraph.com/tether-price-index)) from Ethereum to Binance Smart Chain. These wrapped assets are backed by actual money and tokens on public addresses.
