Ethereum Revenue Crashes 44% in August—Even as ETH Hits Record Highs

Ethereum’s revenue took a nosedive last month, dropping a staggering 44% despite the cryptocurrency soaring to unprecedented price levels.

Behind the Numbers

While ETH prices broke through previous ceilings, network activity and transaction fees plummeted—suggesting that high gas costs and scaling challenges continue to haunt the ecosystem. Traders might be celebrating all-time highs, but the underlying economics tell a more sobering story.

Revenue isn’t everything—but in crypto, it’s one of the few metrics that isn’t purely speculative. Or so we tell ourselves during the dips.

Ethereum Network Fees Drop as Well Alongside Revenue

Network fees also fell 20%, sliding from $49.6 million in July to $39.7 million last month.

Much of the drop traces back to Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which slashed transaction costs for layer-2 rollups.

While the upgrade enhanced scalability, it significantly reduced layer-1 fee revenue, a key source of value for ETH holders.

The trend has reignited debate about Ethereum’s long-term economic model. Critics warn that low fee revenue undermines the platform’s sustainability, while supporters argue Ethereum is evolving into the foundation of global decentralized finance.

Ethereum is dying.

Despite $ETH reaching new ATHs in August, Ethereum revenue in August was $39.2 million. To put that in perspective:

– Down 75% from Aug-23 ($157.4 million)
– Down 40% from Aug-24 ($64.8 million)
– 4th lowest monthly revenue since Jan-21.

Ethereum’s… pic.twitter.com/n2ab4oE3hu

Despite declining revenues, Ethereum continues to attract institutional attention.

Etherealize, a firm promoting Ethereum adoption among public companies, raised $40 million in September to expand outreach.

Etherealize, launched in January with backing from the Ethereum Foundation and co-founder Vitalik Buterin, is designed to bridge the gap between Ethereum’s complex ecosystem and the financial world’s demand for clarity, tools, and regulation-ready infrastructure.

Co-founder Grant Hummer previously noted that despite Ethereum’s presence in crypto ETFs, many institutions still lack the fundamental knowledge needed to engage meaningfully with ETH.

The $40 million will fund new tools and platforms tailored to institutional workflows. Etherealize plans to build infrastructure for private trading and settlement of tokenized assets, including a settlement platform for tokenized bonds and other fixed income products.

Companies exploring ETH for staking are betting on Ethereum’s long-term potential, locking up tokens to earn rewards while securing the network — even if short-term revenues fluctuate.

Joseph Lubin Predicts 100x ETH Surge

Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin believes ETH could rally 100x or more over time, calling it Wall Street’s future infrastructure as TradFi shifts toward decentralized finance.

In an X post, Lubin said Ethereum will replace many siloed systems at institutions like JPMorgan and become the backbone for financial services, staking, and smart contract execution.

Backing the bullish stance of Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, Lubin stated he’s “100% aligned” with Lee’s view that Ethereum could flip Bitcoin in network value.

He compared the moment to 1971 when the U.S. dollar left the Gold standard, signaling a tectonic shift in financial architecture led by Ethereum.

Likewise, Lee has predicted that Ethereum will rally in the NEAR term to $5,500, with an ambitious year-end target of $12,000.

During his August 26 guest appearance on the Amitis Investing program, Lee disclosed that institutional Wall Street sentiment toward Ethereum has shifted dramatically following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the GENIUS Stablecoin legislation.

Lee emphasized that Ethereum is the foundational blockchain infrastructure for traditional finance (TradFi), currently supporting over $145 billion in stablecoin supply.