PANews January 1 News, according to CryptoSlate, reports that the Ethereum network performed strongly in 2025, handling a record-breaking volume of transactions and dominating the DeFi market (mainnet TVL share of 64%). However, ETH prices fell by 10% throughout the year to below $3000, decoupling from network activity. Ethereum actively reduced transaction fees through technical upgrades to promote L2 network growth and expand the entire ecosystem, resulting in a significant decline in mainnet revenue. In 2025, L2 total revenue decreased by 53% to $129 million, but fees paid to the mainnet plummeted to just $10 million, with L2 operators retaining approximately $119 million in profit. This means that the Ethereum mainnet “sacrificed” over $100 million in potential revenue (a decrease of about $103 million compared to 2024) to subsidize ecosystem growth.
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
Analysis: In 2025, Ethereum "sacrifices" over $100 million to subsidize ecosystem expansion
PANews January 1 News, according to CryptoSlate, reports that the Ethereum network performed strongly in 2025, handling a record-breaking volume of transactions and dominating the DeFi market (mainnet TVL share of 64%). However, ETH prices fell by 10% throughout the year to below $3000, decoupling from network activity. Ethereum actively reduced transaction fees through technical upgrades to promote L2 network growth and expand the entire ecosystem, resulting in a significant decline in mainnet revenue. In 2025, L2 total revenue decreased by 53% to $129 million, but fees paid to the mainnet plummeted to just $10 million, with L2 operators retaining approximately $119 million in profit. This means that the Ethereum mainnet “sacrificed” over $100 million in potential revenue (a decrease of about $103 million compared to 2024) to subsidize ecosystem growth.