BSON (Binary JSON) is a binary-encoded serialization of JSON-like documents. BSON is designed to be lightweight, traversable, and efficient. It is primarily used as a data storage and network transfer format in MongoDB, a popular NoSQL database. BSON extends the JSON model to include additional data types such as dates, binary data, and regular expressions, which are not natively supported in JSON. This makes it more suitable for storing complex data structures. The binary format allows for faster parsing and serialization compared to text-based JSON, which is crucial for performance in database systems. BSON documents can be easily indexed and queried, making it a versatile format for various applications beyond MongoDB, including data exchange and configuration files. Its compact size and efficient encoding contribute to reduced storage space and faster data transfer rates. BSON is also designed to be easily traversable, allowing for efficient access to specific elements within a document without needing to parse the entire structure.