Ethereum Fees Plummet to $0.04 as Network Activity Cools – A Trader’s Dream
Gas wars are over—for now. Ethereum transactions just hit bargain-bin territory at $0.04 as DeFi degens take a breather.
Why this matters
Remember paying $200 for a simple swap? Neither do we (wink). Today's fee nosedive reveals two truths: 1) Layer 2 scaling works, and 2) Wall Street 'blockchain experts' still can't explain why fees fluctuate.
What's next
Miners aren't panicking—yet. But watch for validator queues shrinking faster than a crypto hedge fund's AUM when BTC dips 10%.
Bottom line: Cheap transactions won't last. Neither will your 'stablecoin yield farm' returns. Enjoy both while they last.
Ethereum Bridge Fees Drop to $0.04 After October’s Spike
Bridging assets to other blockchains costs around $0.04, and onchain borrowing roughly $0.09.
By contrast, gas prices hit 15.9 Gwei on October 10, when the flash crash erased more than 90% of value from some altcoins within a single day.
The relief came quickly. By October 12, gas prices had collapsed to 0.5 Gwei and have remained under 1 Gwei for most of October and November, data shows.
While the drop has made Ethereum transactions cheaper than ever, analysts warn that the network’s long-term sustainability could be tested if fees remain this low.
During the 2021 bull run, transaction costs on Ethereum’s base LAYER frequently exceeded $100–$150, driving users toward cheaper alternatives and layer-2 solutions.
However, since the Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which optimized gas fees for layer-2 rollups, Ethereum’s fee revenue has collapsed by 99%, according to Token Terminal.
While low fees improve user accessibility, they also reduce income for validators, the participants who secure the network and process transactions.
Analysts note that without sufficient fee incentives, Ethereum could face both financial and security pressures over time.
Research from Binance describes this as a “double-edged sword.” Ethereum’s layer-2 scaling ecosystem, which includes networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, has helped Ethereum scale efficiently but has also cannibalized much of its own base-layer revenue.
Markets pushed lower, extending BTC’s 31D correction as macro uncertainty and DeFi contagion drove de-risking. Stablecoin data suggests liquidity stays in crypto, with capital sidelined until signals turn clearer.#Binance Research's Weekly Commentary
https://t.co/NkiTzdDlN9
For now, traders may welcome near-free transactions, but if activity and fees don’t recover, Ethereum’s economic model could face renewed scrutiny, especially as rival blockchains continue to court developers and users with lower-cost, high-throughput alternatives.
Ethereum MEV Fraud Trial Ends in Mistrial as Jury Fails to Reach Verdict
As reported, a US federal judge has declared a mistrial in the landmark case against brothers Anton and James Peraire-Bueno, accused of stealing $25 million through an alleged exploit on the Ethereum blockchain.
The case marked the first-ever criminal prosecution involving maximal extractable value (MEV), where traders profit from how transactions are ordered on the network.
Prosecutors claimed the pair went beyond standard MEV tactics by manipulating Ethereum’s validator layer to reorder transactions and drain funds, calling it “the first exploit of its kind.”
The defense countered that their actions followed Ethereum’s internal rules, arguing the brothers operated within the system’s design rather than hacking it.
After three days of deliberation, jurors admitted they were exhausted and divided, prompting Judge Jessica Clarke to end the trial.
