In this issue of Coin Metrics State of the Network, we explore how scalability is taking shape across Ethereum, its Layer-2 ecosystem, and Solana. By looking at transaction activity, fee dynamics, and network capacity, we assess how networks are adapting to growing demand and what that signals for the next phase of on-chain growth.
Key Takeaways:
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Ethereum is progressively scaling across mainnet and Layer-2 rollups. From early NFT and DeFi congestion to recent market volatility, gas-limit increases and upgrades like Dencun and Pectra have expanded capacity, while blob transactions have sharply reduced data costs.
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Layer-2s are helping distribute Ethereum’s growing demand and improve throughput efficiency. Events like the April 2024 “blobscriptions” surge and October 2025 liquidations highlight both their resilience under stress and their continued dependence on mainnet capacity.
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Solana’s high-throughput design localizes congestion without reliance on external scaling layers. During the January 2025 TRUMP token launch, average fees rose to $0.37 while median fees stayed below $0.003, highlighting how local fee markets isolate congestion without raising network-wide costs.
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New networks are emerging across the blockchain tradeoff space, specializing for targeted use cases as demand grows in volume and diversity.
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