Analysis: Ethereum "Sacrifices" Over $100 Million in 2025 to Subsidize Ecosystem Expansion

According to a report by CryptoSlate, the Ethereum network demonstrated strong operational performance in 2025, processing record transaction volumes and maintaining dominance in the DeFi market (with a 64% share of mainnet TVL). However, the price of ETH fell by 10% throughout the year, dropping below $3,000, decoupling from network activity. This is because Ethereum proactively reduced transaction fees through technical upgrades to foster the growth of L2 networks and the expansion of the entire ecosystem, leading to a significant decline in mainnet revenue. In 2025, total L2 revenue fell by 53% to $129 million, but the fees paid to the mainnet plummeted to just $10 million, allowing L2 operators to retain approximately $119 million in profits. This means the Ethereum mainnet "sacrificed" over $100 million in potential revenue (a decrease of about $103 million compared to 2024) to subsidize ecosystem growth.