Base Dominates: Layer-2 Network Surges to Top Spot in Daily Fee Revenue

Forget the quiet consolidation—Base just flipped the script on the entire layer-2 landscape.

The Fee Factory

While other networks tout theoretical throughput, Base is printing real revenue. Daily fee generation isn't just a metric; it's a brutal scoreboard for adoption and utility. The network isn't waiting for users—it's creating economic gravity that pulls in everything from meme coins to sophisticated DeFi protocols. Activity begets activity, and fees are the proof.

Beyond the Hype Cycle

This isn't about winning a single day's sprint. Leading in fees signals a fundamental shift: developers and users are voting with their gas wallets. They're choosing lower costs without sacrificing the security of Ethereum's base layer—a trade-off that's finally hitting its stride. The so-called 'scaling trilemma' is getting solved one transaction at a time.

The New Benchmark

The conversation has moved past mere transactions per second. Now it's about sustainable economic models. A leading fee position funds further development, attracts more ecosystem projects, and creates a virtuous cycle that competitors will struggle to match. It turns a technical solution into a financial engine.

Let's be real—in crypto, revenue cuts through marketing fog better than any whitepaper. While some chains are still selling dreams of future adoption, Base is quietly running the toll booth on a newly built highway. The ultimate cynical finance jab? In an industry obsessed with 'number go up,' it's refreshing to see a network where the 'fees go up' first. That's a trend that even the most jaded trader can appreciate.

L2 share of app revenues is falling

L2 chains produce around 15.9% of the app revenues in the ethereum ecosystem. Revenues peaked on October 10, then slowed down along with the rest of the market. Both Ethereum and L2 revenues fell together, although the Ethereum ecosystem had one of its best years in terms of app activity and adoption. 

Base remains the leader in most categories, especially finance. Base carries over 2B smart contracts for decentralized finance, with around 589K for Arbitrum. Base is the leader in token transfers and general utility, and only lags behind Taiko for on-chain social media apps.

Arbitrum One and Arbitrum Nova, however, register a higher number of financial transactions on their DeFi apps. Ethereum remains the leader, handling DeFi traffic directly. 

The latest balance between L2 and L1 shows that the side chains did not take the liquidity off Ethereum. L2s are enjoying historically low fees for posting on the L1 chain, but they are not stealing traffic from Ethereum apps. 

L2 chain creation slows down

In total, around 150 L2 chains are fighting for attention. At one point during the crypto cycle, multiple projects launched an L2 chain due to the ease of use. 

Of those chains, some are still considered mostly centralized. Around 99 of the remaining networks are considered live, with several closing each month due to a lack of demand. The L2 ecosystem evolved in the past year, with apps concentrating on a handful of task-specific networks, leaving the rest with almost zero liquidity and no users. Even previously busy chains were abandoned after the end of airdrop farming seasons.

Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.