Ethereum transaction fees have plunged to historic lows in December 2025, averaging just 0.0001 ETH per transaction, a level unseen for extended periods.This marks a staggering 66.67% drop from one year ago, when fees hovered around 0.0003 ETH, signaling a major shift in network dynamics.
## Causes of the Fee Decline
Several factors align to drive this plunge. Post-Dencun upgrade optimizations, including blob transactions for layer-2 rollups, have slashed data costs dramatically, reducing the base layer's burden during routine operations. Layer-2 solutions like Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base now handle over 90% of Ethereum activity, offloading congestion from the main chain and keeping gas prices suppressed even amid steady transaction volumes.
Network activity has stabilized without the explosive DeFi or NFT booms of prior cycles, allowing validators to process blocks efficiently at minimal fees. Advanced EIP-1559 mechanics continue to burn base fees during low-demand periods, further tightening supply while demand remains subdued.
## Impact on Users and Developers
Everyday users benefit immensely, with simple transfers costing pennies—often under $0.50 at current ETH prices—making Ethereum viable for microtransactions and everyday DeFi interactions. Developers deploying smart contracts or dApps face negligible barriers, accelerating innovation in areas like restaking, AI agents, and social-fi protocols.
This affordability boosts Ethereum's competitiveness against rivals like Solana, where fees spiked during peak usage. Retail traders on DEXes such as Uniswap see slippage minimized, while institutional on-ramps via layer-2s become even more attractive for high-frequency strategies.
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