The Ethereum blockchain has seen a series of improvements that have significantly lowered transaction fees and increased the number of active addresses. On Monday, active addresses on Ethereum surpassed 791,000, a rise above major layer 2 networks like Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism. Just a year ago, the average transaction fee on Ethereum was approximately $11, but it has plummeted to just $0.15 now. These advancements coincide with developer ambitions to fortify the network’s resilient capacity.
User Activity Surpasses Layer 2 Networks, Fees Are at Record Lows
This year, the number of active addresses surged by 71% compared to 460,000 last year. The average fee drop and high transaction figures indicate a rising trend on Ethereum. For example, on Tuesday, the network recorded about 2.1 million transactions, further demonstrating its growing usage.
Ethereum’s past saw exorbitant fees, reaching as high as $200 in late 2021. Recently, however, layer 2 (L2) solutions have gained traction, with firms like Coinbase launching their own L2 platforms to improve scalability.
Significant upgrades to Ethereum last year included the Pectra and Fusaka developments. The Pectra upgrade enhanced blob storage capacity, allowing rollups to submit transaction data at lower costs. The Fusaka upgrade introduced enhancements like Peer Data Availability Sampling, which allows validators to work with smaller data samples when verifying transactions.
Moreover, developers are seeing heightened interest in Ethereum for deploying smart contracts, reaching an unprecedented figure of 8.7 million in Q4 2025. In light of intensifying competition, Ethereum is focused on enhancing its robustness and scalability.
Future-Proofing Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin expressed a vision for Ethereum where it can operate independently of continuous developer input. He envisions a resilient architecture capable of sustaining its value over the long term, emphasizing the importance of achieving full quantum resistance and scalable architecture that lasts decades. He encourages developers to meet these objectives incrementally each year.
As the network prepares for the upcoming Glamsterdam fork—which aims to boost transaction capacity up to 10,000 per second—Ethereum continues to evolve, reflecting its commitment to adaptability and long-term sustainability.
