Low Ethereum Gas Fees Signal Renewed Mainnet Activity
Ethereum’s layer-1 network has reached a new milestone, processing 2.2 million transactions in a single day while maintaining an average transaction fee of just $0.17. This marks a significant shift from previous years, highlighting how network upgrades and validator support are reshaping Ethereum’s cost and scalability dynamics.
Data from blockchain explorers shows that Ethereum’s transaction count continues to rise even as fees fall. Historically, Ethereum fees peaked in May 2022 at over $200 per transaction, driven by congestion and intense market activity. Since then, fees have steadily declined, including a notable drop from around $8.48 in October during a major market liquidation event.
This sustained reduction in fees suggests that Ethereum’s infrastructure is handling higher demand more efficiently. Importantly, the increase in mainnet activity indicates that users and developers are returning from alternative networks and layer-2 solutions to settle transactions directly on Ethereum L1.
Two major protocol upgrades in 2025 played a critical role. Pectra improved validator operations and staking flexibility, while Fusaka raised the network gas limit from 45 million to 60 million, allowing more transactions per block. Validator support for these changes exceeded 50%, reinforcing network consensus.
At the same time, staking demand has outpaced unstaking for the first time in six months, signaling growing confidence in Ethereum’s long-term stability and usage.
With record transaction volume, historically low fees, and strong validator participation, Ethereum’s layer-1 network is demonstrating renewed strength as a scalable and trusted settlement layer.
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