January 19 News, for years, high Ethereum Gas fees have been a pain point that users and developers cannot avoid. During the 2021 bull market and the 2024 NFT boom, an ordinary ETH transaction often cost dozens of dollars, and the costs of complex operations soared, discouraging many users.
This situation underwent a fundamental change in 2026. According to the latest data from Etherscan, as of January 2026, the average Gas fee on Ethereum has dropped to about $0.01. The sharp decline in fees is not due to decreased network usage but results from key changes in the technical architecture. The Fusaka upgrade completed at the end of 2025, the official deployment of PeerDAS, and the widespread adoption of Layer 2 solutions have collectively significantly alleviated mainnet congestion, gradually transforming Ethereum into an efficient, low-cost settlement layer.
The downward trend in Gas fees has also reshaped the competitive relationship between ETH and Solana (SOL). In the past, Solana held an advantage with low fees and high throughput. Now, Ethereum no longer lags in transaction costs, and the competition focus has shifted to security, decentralization, and ecosystem maturity. Although Solana still has speed advantages in some scenarios, the core shortcoming of Ethereum’s “high fees” has been substantially eliminated.
It is worth noting that low Gas fees also introduce new variables. Due to the weakening of the transaction fee burning mechanism, the rate of ETH supply destruction has slowed, and the network is currently in a slight inflationary state. However, on-chain activity provides more convincing signals. On January 17, 2026, Ethereum processed 2.6 million transactions in a single day, setting a new record, while the network continued to operate smoothly without another spike in fees.
On the market side, as of press time, ETH price is $3,319.87, up slightly by 0.62% in 24 hours; meanwhile, SOL is at $142.26, experiencing a 1.23% pullback. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently stated that the overall Web3 architecture proposed as early as 2014 is gradually becoming a reality.
In 2026, Ethereum is not only completing scalability but also re-establishing its long-term value as a core blockchain infrastructure based on low cost and high security.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
Top 10 Ethereum Burners: MetaMask and Aave Take the Lead With Massive Numbers
Ethereum has entered a new phase of economic scarcity as its decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem continues to accelerate the rate at which tokens are permanently removed from circulation. According to a detailed market update published on March 1, 2026, by Phoenix Group, the network has been
BlockChainReporter33m ago
Ethereum Rethink As Vitalik Proposes Structural Shift
The architect of Ethereum believes the network must evolve at its core. As scaling demands rise and zero knowledge systems expand, structural limitations have begun to surface. Instead of minor tweaks, he now proposes a deep redesign that targets foundational inefficiencies.
Vitalik Buterin
Coinfomania39m ago
Gate Research Institute: Geopolitical Tensions Escalate | AI Accelerates Ethereum Development
Cryptocurrency Market Overview
BTC (-0.18% | Current price 66,556 USDT): BTC has rebounded within the 66,000–67,000 USD range but has not yet effectively broken through the upper resistance level. Short-term momentum recovery remains limited; if trading volume cannot increase, the price is likely to continue fluctuating within the 63,000–70,000 USD range. On the macro front, escalating Middle East geopolitical tensions have raised concerns over conflict spread and the Strait of Hormuz risks. Rising oil prices have driven gold higher, increasing volatility in global risk assets. In an environment where safe-haven sentiment is rising while risk appetite declines, BTC may maintain high volatility and oscillation in the short term. The future trend will still depend on geopolitical developments and liquidity expectation changes.
ETH (+3.18% | Current price 1,910 USDT): ETH found support near $1,835 and rebounded, with the target
GateResearch1h ago
Huang Licheng has lost $74 million over the past six months.
PANews March 2 News, according to Arkham statistics, "Big Brother Ma Ji" Huang Licheng has lost $74 million over the past six months — he has been trying to leverage long Ethereum since September last year when the price was $4700. Now, he has only $8,500 left in his HL account, suspected to have almost lost all his money.
GateNews1h ago
ETH 15-minute sharp decline of 0.96%: Mainnet capital outflow and ETF capital flow slowdown resonate, triggering short-term volatility
On March 2, 2026, from 06:15 to 06:30 (UTC), ETH prices experienced a -0.96% decline, with the price range between 1941.94 and 1969.98 USDT, and a volatility of 1.42%. This fluctuation occurred amid heightened market attention and increased volatility, with active short-term trading and a general decline in user risk appetite.
The main driver of this fluctuation was the continuous net outflow of funds from the Ethereum mainnet, which accelerated the marginal contraction of on-chain liquidity. From the beginning of 2026 until the report time, the mainnet experienced a total net outflow of approximately $689 million, with some funds migrating to
GateNews1h ago
Bitcoin ETF outflows exceed $9 billion in four months, institutional demand completely collapsed
Over the past four months, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded a net outflow of $6.39 billion, marking the longest losing streak in history; Ethereum ETFs have also seen outflows of $2.76 billion during the same period, totaling over $9 billion, indicating a significant decline in institutional demand for crypto assets. This phenomenon is related to geopolitical and inflation concerns, and market rebounds will depend on sustained capital inflows.
MarketWhisper1h ago
