BNB hits 279M milestone in 2025, but will there be good news in 2026?

The crypto market has seen massive gains throughout 2025, driven by regulatory developments, adoption, and price movements. One of the biggest winners, however, has been Binance Coin. In fact, BNB rallied from $701 in January to a new all-time high of $1375 in October.Before retracing in Q4, BNB’s market cap surged from $75 billion to $182 billion – A sign of steady capital flows. On the price charts, BNB has traded within a descending channel since, coinciding with the broader crypto market’s correction too.At press time, Binance Coin [BNB] was trading at $835.That’s not all though as BNB chain’s usage and adoption rates have climbed to historical highs too.A 279 million milestone!As crypto market conditions changed towards the end of 2024, investors rushed into more promising altcoins, fearing they would miss out. The crypto rush greatly benefited BNB, with the altcoin seeing a sharp increase in token holders.According to Token Terminal, the number of BNB holders surged from 158.7 million in January to 279.2 million in December. This means 121 million new holders were added – Marking a 76% jump in less than a year.Source: Token TerminalTypically, a surge in holders is a sign of an accelerated adoption rate. Alongside a hike in network participation, this can be seen as a clear sign of long-term demand.On-chain activity hits historical levelsSignificantly, the surge in holders massively boosted the network’s on-chain activity. For instance – The number of daily active users on the network jumped from 800k and hovered between 2.8 and 3 million. This hinted at a hike of 234% on this front.Source: ArtemisEqually, monthly active users surged by 100%, from 30 million to 60 million, indicating greater usage. Over the same period, the number of Transacting Users climbed from 1 million to 3.4 million, further validating the spike in usage.Source: ArtemisWhen these two metrics rise in tandem, it usually alludes to real organic demand for the network and its native token. Historically, these market conditions have turned bullish for the token, as evidenced by BNB’s price performances.Can BNB build on the wave into 2026?Binance Coin rallied to historical highs in 2025, as demand for the altcoin surged among market participants. Thanks to the same, substantial capital was deployed into the ecosystem.Such a shift in demand is indicative of a mature environment ripe for further growth if broader market conditions turn suitable. Therefore, going into 2026, BNB could see further growth on the price charts.Source: TradingviewIn the short term, however, the bearish structure remains intact, as evidenced by the Directional Movement Index (DMI). A trend continuation could see BNB breach the $800-support and drop to $795.However, the long-term outlook remains positive, especially if the broader crypto market recovers. Under such conditions, the altcoin could target $948, strengthening it for a rally towards $1.4k in Q1 2026.Final ThoughtsNumber of BNB holders surged by 76% from 158 million in January to a new all-time high in December.Short-term weakness could potentially pull the altcoin’s price below $800.