Ethereum's Gas Fees Hit Record Lows
The Ethereum gas fees have dramatically decreased, reaching an astonishingly low base fee of 0.82 Gwei. This decline is primarily due to a reduction in large transactions on the network, as observed in recent data.
Throughout the past week, Ethereum's base gas fee consistently decreased, reaching a multi-year low on Saturday, August 11. Data highlights that transactions over $100,000 plummeted from 16,990 on Monday to just 2,620 by Saturday.
Implications of Reduced Gas Fees
Lower gas fees have resulted in fewer ETH tokens being burned. Typically, base fees paid by users are burned, reducing the total supply of ETH and exerting deflationary pressure. However, recent figures indicate that only 3,698 ETH were burned over the past week, while 18,065 new ETH tokens were issued, leading to a net increase in the circulating supply. This trend contradicts the expected deflationary impact.
The Importance of Gas Fees
Gas fees serve as a critical indicator of network activity and supply dynamics in Ethereum. They are directly linked to transaction activity. When transactions increase, validators face higher demand to process them, leading to increased fees.
In periods of network congestion, users pay higher gas fees to expedite their transactions, which can lead to bullish market behavior. For example, in May 2022, users faced average daily gas prices of $196.638 due to increased demand.
While low gas fees are cost-effective for users, they also reflect reduced network activity. As of now, Ethereum is trading at $2,585, down 3.58% in the last 24 hours, indicating a period of sluggish activity.
