Ethereum, 1st quarter dApp fees surpass 1 billion dollars

Ethereum dApp fees showing a gradual rebound after the recent bear market (Source: Token Terminal)

In the first quarter of 2025, Ethereum once again proved its overwhelming presence in the decentralized application (dApp) market. According to blockchain analytics platform Token Terminal, the dApp fees generated on the Ethereum network during this period amounted to a total of $1.014 billion.

Competitor chains followed but the gap was large. Layer 2 solution ‘Base’ operated by Coinbase ranked second with $193 million, and the BNB Chain collected $170 million. Following were Arbitrum with $73.8 million and Avalanche's C-Chain with $27.68 million in fees, respectively.

These figures demonstrate that Ethereum still functions as the center of blockchain-based applications. DApp fees are more than just simple revenue. They are evidence of actual user activity on the network and are evaluated as a key indicator of protocol adoption rate and economic utility.

While layer 2 solutions and alternative chains are gradually expanding their presence, Ethereum still stands as the platform setting the benchmark, based on its long-accumulated infrastructure and developer ecosystem. Although there are technical challenges regarding scalability, Ethereum's position in the market and real-use data show a clear difference from other networks.

As the dApp-centered blockchain ecosystem rapidly expands, Ethereum continues to play a crucial role as the entity setting the standards for the entire ecosystem, beyond being just a frontrunner.