2026-01-03 17:23:33

Ethereum's Strategic Trade-Off: How Layer-2 Growth Cost Mainnet Over $100M in 2025

Ethereum made a deliberate choice this year—sacrificing more than $100 million in direct mainnet fee revenue to fuel Layer-2 scaling and strengthen its long-term ecosystem. It's a calculated bet on expansion over short-term extraction.

The math tells the story. Since the Dencun upgrade rolled out, Layer-2 networks have only sent $10 million back to mainnet in settlement fees. Meanwhile, those same Layer-2s retained $119 million in revenue for themselves. That's the cost of decentralization and scalability.

This shift highlights a fundamental tension in blockchain design: maximize immediate profits or invest in infrastructure that benefits the entire network. Ethereum chose the latter. By allowing Layer-2s to capture most transaction fees, the network attracts liquidity, developers, and users at scale. Dencun optimized how data gets posted to mainnet, making Layer-2 costs plummet—but that efficiency came with a revenue tradeoff for core validators.

The question now: does this strategy pay off in ecosystem growth? If Layer-2s flourish and drive sustained adoption, that $100M+ sacrifice might look like the smartest investment Ethereum made in 2025.

ETH1,94%

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wagmi_eventually

· 19h ago

Although it sounds like ETH is burning money, I can understand this move... Layer 2s are making huge profits to build up the ecosystem.

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ApeShotFirst

· 01-03 17:52

No way, over 10 billion just gone like that? But on the other hand, this move is really brilliant—betting on the long-term ecosystem versus short-term bloodsucking... Let's wait and see if the L2s will step up or not.

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BuyTheTop

· 01-03 17:45

I really think this move is a bit ruthless, dropping over a million dollars a year just like that... But if you think about it carefully, the mainnet validators are actually paving the way for L2 right now.

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liquiditea_sipper

· 01-03 17:44

Just consider 100 million as an insurance for the future of the ecosystem. Betting on L2 to really take off, but right now it definitely hurts to watch.

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GasFeeWhisperer

· 01-03 17:44

ngl, this move is a bit ruthless. Losing over $1000 a year just to support the L2 ecosystem... Is it stubbornness or foresight?

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SchroedingerMiner

· 01-03 17:37

This move is actually a gamble on the future—giving up over a million dollars to foster ecosystem prosperity... The nice way to put it is long-term planning; the harsh way is gambler's mentality. Hopefully, L2's breakout can make up for it.

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CryptoPunster

· 01-03 17:33

Smiling and losing this round, Ethereum directly threw over a million dollars to L2 to raise children. This is called "For the ecosystem, I am willing to go bankrupt" [Dog Head] --- So now it's a gamble that L2 will explode; otherwise, this over a million dollars will really be wasted. It really feels like "investing in myself for the last time." --- The mainnet is losing money to support L2, and I am losing money to support the fund. Mutual understanding. --- When Dencun comes out, L2 fees will skyrocket, and the mainnet fee will disappear. Is this called a win-win? Laughing to death, the mainnet is crying here. --- Wait, so the ETH I hold now is financing the L2 ecosystem investors? Then this should count as investment income, right? --- During the bull market, pouring money into supporting L2; in the bear market, still need to keep supporting. Ethereum's move this time is a bit ruthless.

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