- Reduced transaction activity on Ethereum directly influences gas fees, with lower demand leading to more affordable transaction costs.
- Layer 2 solutions contribute significantly by offloading transactions from the Ethereum mainnet, easing congestion and lowering fees.
Ethereum’s mainnet gas fees have recently decreased to the lowest levels observed in the last five years, marking a significant shift from previous trends. As of August 11, the gas fees dropped to 1.38 Gwei, contrasting sharply with the high of 91.51 Gwei recorded on March 5.
This reduction in gas fees can primarily be attributed to a decrease in network activity on Ethereum. Another contributing factor to the reduction of gas fees is the growth and development of Ethereum’s layer 2 solutions.
These networks offload transactions from the main Ethereum network, reducing congestion and, by extension, gas fees. This technological advancement has allowed for more efficient transaction processing at reduced costs.
The impact of these developments is evident when reviewing transaction volumes over the years. For instance, during the 2017 bull market, Ethereum’s transaction volume hit a peak of 165.97 million ETH, compared to a peak of 90.44 million ETH during the 2021 bull market.
The highest transaction volume in 2024 was significantly lower, at 20.19 million ETH, recorded just before the cryptocurrency reached its year-to-date high.
This data indicates that the expanding layer 2 ecosystem has influenced the Ethereum network by handling a large volume of transactions that would otherwise have contributed to congestion on the mainnet.
As a result, the mainnet has experienced less congestion over the past few years, which has directly contributed to the lower gas fees.
The decrease in Ethereum gas fees is due to reduced network activity and the effective management of transaction overflow by layer 2 solutions.
These factors have alleviated congestion on the Ethereum mainnet, resulting in lower transaction costs and potentially increasing the network’s appeal to new and existing users.
