Tron followed closely, earning $2.15 billion in fees—a staggering 116.7% jump from $922 million in 2023. Tron’s surge was fueled by rising stablecoin usage, with fee earnings peaking at $342 million in December 2024.
Bitcoin came third, with $922 million in fees driven by Ordinal NFTs, BRC-20 tokens, and Bitcoin-based apps.
Solana posted the most remarkable growth, with a 2,838% rise in fee earnings to $750.65 million. Its share of decentralized exchange trading climbed past 30% in Q4. The network also set a new fee record on January 20, spurred by interest in TRUMP and MELANIA coins.
Layer 1 blockchains dominated the scene, accounting for $6.6 billion in fees. However, layer 2 solutions like Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism also made their mark. Layer 2 networks collectively earned $294.92 million in fees, with Base leading at $84.78 million thanks to its Coinbase integration.
As the blockchain sector grows, Ethereum, Tron, and Solana continue to shape its economic landscape, setting the stage for further developments in 2025.
