Layer 2 Networks Process Record 47M Daily Transactions: Arbitrum and Optimism Drive 89% Drop in Ethereum Gas Fees
Layer 2 scaling networks achieved a historic milestone in October 2025, processing 47 million transactions daily across leading protocols including Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base. Data from L2Beat shows average Ethereum mainnet gas fees plunged 89% to just $0.32 per transaction, compared to $2.85 in early 2024. Base, Coinbase's Layer 2 solution, recorded explosive growth with 18.7 million daily active addresses, while Arbitrum's Total Value Locked surged to $12.3 billion.
Analysts project Layer 2 networks will handle 85% of all Ethereum transactions by mid-2026, with transaction costs expected to drop below $0.10 as ZK-rollup technology matures and competition intensifies among scaling providers.
