Over the past 30 days, Bitcoin and Ethereum network fees have remained relatively modest, even as prices have trended upward. During the first week of 2025, the average transaction fee on the Bitcoin network was $1.40. In comparison, Ethereum onchain fees were slightly lower during the first six days of January, reflecting a similarly subdued pattern.
Kickoff January 2025: Bitcoin costs drop to $1.40, Ethereum remains modest
Fees for miners and validators on the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks started this year at less than $2 per transaction for average payments per transfer. Currently, performing transactions on the Bitcoin network costs an average of 0.000013 BTC, equivalent to $1.34, which translates to approximately 5 satoshis per virtual byte. This figure is half of the average rate recorded over the past 30 days.
Average Bitcoin Network Costs according to ycharts.com.
From December 7, 2024 to January 5, 2025, the monthly average cost was approximately $3,085 per transaction. However, the first five days of 2025 were significantly lower, with an average fee of $1,406 per transfer on the Bitcoin blockchain. The peak rate in the last 30 days was $5,927 on December 2, 2024, while the lowest other than today, January 6, 2025, was $1,431 on November 17, 2024.
Average Ethereum network costs according to ycharts.com.
Ethereum transaction fees have been consistently lower than Bitcoin, with a 30-day average of $1,093 per transaction. Through the first five days of 2025, the average rate rose slightly higher, to $1,104. On December 9, 2024, Ethereum recorded its highest fee in the past 30 days at $1.606, while the lowest onchain fee during this period was $0.7158 on November 29, 2024. As of January 6, 2025, the average fee is 19.76. gwei, which translates to $1.88 per transaction.
These figures represent the cost of transferring ether only and do not include decentralized exchange (dex) swaps, which currently average $27.97 per transaction on Ethereum. Onchain NFT sales are charged a fee of approximately $47.26 per sale, while bridge fees hover around $8.99. Although Bitcoin network fees have fallen since mid-December, the backlog of unconfirmed transactions has increased slightly to 189,794. Meanwhile, users pay a more modest average fee of $0.57 per onchain Bitcoin transfer.
