How Greenfield splits records from files
Greenfield works in two halves. The chain itself records the administrative facts: which files exist, who owns them, who is allowed to read them, and which provider is holding them. The files themselves live with storage providers, independent operators who run the infrastructure that actually stores and serves the bytes (source: BNB Chain Docs).
The vocabulary follows Greenfield's own terms, starting with the bucket, which is a container with a globally unique name, and the account that creates it owns it. Inside a bucket sit the individual files, which Greenfield's documentation calls objects, each with a name between 1 and 1,024 characters and holding whatever bytes you upload: text, images, video or anything else. Each bucket is associated with a primary storage provider and with the accounts that pay its bills (source: BNB Chain Docs).
Anyone who has used cloud object storage will recognize the shape, and the difference is where the authority sits. Permissions on Greenfield are recorded on the chain and enforced by it, so changing who can read a file is a transaction rather than a request to a provider. Storage providers can be changed without the ownership record changing, because the record was never theirs (source: BNB Chain Docs).
This is a different product from anything on BNB Smart Chain, which runs contract code and settles token transfers. A transaction confirmed on BNB Smart Chain says something happened there; it says nothing about whether a file reached a Greenfield provider.
Getting BNB onto Greenfield
Greenfield keeps its own balances, so BNB has to be moved there before anything can be paid for. Documentation describes BNB as the token used to pay gas for transactions submitted on Greenfield, covering both operations local to that chain and cross-chain operations with BNB Smart Chain (source: BNB Chain Docs).
The route is a cross-chain transfer from BNB Smart Chain, which means the coins start there and arrive on Greenfield after the transfer confirms. A balance sitting on BNB Smart Chain is not available to a Greenfield bill until that transfer has happened, and adding a network to your wallet does not move anything by itself, which is the distinction BNB wallet setup works through in detail.
This is the same rule that governs the rest of the family. What the BNB token does lists everything the coin is used for, and each of those uses needs coins on the specific network doing the work.
The two things Greenfield charges for
Greenfield bills in two separate ways, and knowing which is which explains why costs continue after an upload has finished.
The first is gas, charged per transaction, exactly as on any other chain. Creating a bucket, uploading an object, changing a permission or deleting something are all transactions, and each costs a small fee at the moment it is submitted.
The second is the storage service fee, which is charged continuously for as long as the data is held. Documentation splits it into a fee for storing the file and a data package fee covering download quota beyond a free allowance, so heavy reading costs more than light reading of the same file (source: BNB Chain Docs).
| Charge | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Gas | Once, when a transaction is submitted |
| Storage service fee | Continuously, while the data is stored |
| Data package fee | On downloads beyond the free quota |
The practical implication of a streaming charge is that the account paying it has to stay funded. A payment account that empties stops covering the storage it was covering, which puts the stored data at risk, so the maintenance job on Greenfield is keeping a balance topped up rather than making a single payment at upload time.
Storing a file, step by step
Storing something on Greenfield follows a fixed sequence, whichever tool you use to do it.
- Fund a Greenfield account with BNB transferred across from BNB Smart Chain.
- Create a bucket, choosing a name that is not already taken anywhere on the network, and pick the primary storage provider that will hold its contents.
- Set the payment account that will cover the storage fee for that bucket, and make sure it holds enough to keep the charge running.
- Upload a file into the bucket, giving it a name of between 1 and 1,024 characters.
- Set permissions on the bucket or on the individual file, which is what determines whether anybody other than you can read it.
The two mistakes that cause the most trouble are both about funding. An unfunded payment account means the storage charge stops being paid, and a Greenfield account with no BNB on it cannot submit the transaction to upload anything in the first place. Neither problem is visible from a BNB Smart Chain balance, however large it is.
Where Greenfield sits in the family
BNB Chain is three networks that share one coin: BNB Smart Chain for applications, opBNB for high-volume cheap transactions, and Greenfield for storage (source: BNB Chain Docs). How BNB Chain works covers how the three divide the work between them.
Each network carries its own identifier, and BNB networks and contracts lists them alongside the token addresses worth checking before you send anything.
Sharing a coin does not merge their accounting, because each network keeps its own balances and charges its fees from coins already on it, so a healthy balance on one does nothing for a bill on another. That single rule explains most of the confusion people meet across the family.
Buying the coin in the first place is a separate matter again, and BloFin has listed BNB/USDT on spot since December 31, 2023, with a minimum order size of 0.001 BNB, and coins bought there can be withdrawn to a wallet and then transferred onward. BloFin also lists two BNB perpetuals, BNBUSDT and BNBUSDC, both at up to 75x leverage, which track the price without holding the coin and so cannot be withdrawn or used to pay for storage. How to buy BNB covers the purchase itself, including the withdrawal step that turns an exchange balance into coins on a network.
If the contracts are what interest you, BNB perpetual futures explains how they settle and what funding costs over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is BNB Greenfield used for?
Storing data in a way where ownership and access permissions are recorded on a blockchain and enforced by it, while the files themselves are held by independent storage providers. That suits applications wanting user-controlled data, media that needs verifiable ownership, or any case where handing control of files to a single company is the thing you are trying to avoid.
How do you pay for storage on Greenfield?
In BNB, and in two ways at once. Each transaction costs gas at the moment you submit it, and stored data carries a continuous service fee for as long as it stays there, with an extra charge for downloads beyond a free allowance. Because the storage fee streams, the account covering it has to be kept funded, and letting it run empty puts the stored data at risk.
Is Greenfield the same as BNB Smart Chain?
They are separate networks with separate balances, built for different purposes. BNB Smart Chain runs contract code and settles token transfers, while Greenfield records file ownership and permissions. They share the BNB token and can pass messages between each other, but coins on one cannot pay a bill on the other until they have been transferred across.
Who can read a file stored on Greenfield?
Whoever the permissions allow, and those permissions live on the chain rather than with the provider holding the bytes. The account that created a bucket owns it and controls access to what is inside, so making a file public or private is a transaction you sign. Because storage providers hold data on behalf of owners without holding the ownership record, changing provider does not change who controls access.
What is the difference between a bucket and a file on Greenfield?
A bucket is the container and a file sits inside it. Bucket names are unique across the whole network, and each bucket is tied to a primary storage provider and to the accounts that pay for it. File names are between 1 and 1,024 characters and unique within their bucket, and a stored file can hold any kind of data you upload.
Do you need BNB on Greenfield specifically?
Yes. Greenfield keeps its own balances, so coins have to be transferred there from BNB Smart Chain before they can pay for anything. A wallet showing a large BNB balance on BNB Smart Chain will still fail to create a bucket if nothing has been moved across, and adding the network to your wallet does not transfer any coins by itself.
Researched and written by the BloFin Academy editorial team with AI-assisted drafting. Updated September 2026. Primary sources include BloFin's Help Center and the BNB Chain documentation. All facts independently verified against cited documentation current as of September 2026.
This article is educational and general in nature, not financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrencies like BNB carry real risks, including price volatility, venue risk, smart-contract exploits in ecosystem applications, issuer and chain risk, and the chance of losing funds sent on the wrong network. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any asset. Do your own research, and consider speaking with a licensed professional before making financial decisions. BloFin does not provide investment advice.