Ethereum has achieved a new all-time high in network throughput, processing 34,468 transactions in a single second. This milestone, the highest recorded speed for the network, comes just hours before the activation of the significant Fusaka upgrade. The surge in activity was largely driven by Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions, with the zero-knowledge rollup-based perpetual exchange Lighter contributing a substantial share of the transactions. Other L2s like Base also maintained consistent activity between 100 and 300 TPS.
Data from GrowThePie indicates the broader Ethereum ecosystem processed 32,950 TPS the day prior, surpassing the previous record of 31,000 set just last week. This demonstrates steady growth in the network's capacity. Increased throughput typically leads to lower user fees, a trend already observed as many rollups have reported falling costs in recent weeks, potentially enabling wider use for everyday transactions.
The upcoming Fusaka upgrade, set for December 3, is poised to further this scaling trajectory. A key feature, PeerDAS, is designed to expand the network's data capacity by up to eight times, which would provide rollups with cheaper blob fees and more room to grow. Complementing this, validators recently approved an increase in the mainnet gas limit from 45 million to 60 million on November 25, a move expected to lower fees and increase throughput on the base layer itself.
Concurrently, the Sonic blockchain, a high-performance Ethereum Layer 2, announced it is processing over 10,000 TPS with sub-second finality. This infrastructure is being leveraged by DeFi projects like Silo Finance, BEETS, and Shadow Exchange to optimize liquidity and transaction efficiency. Sonic's advancements are seen as addressing core scalability challenges of high fees and congestion, potentially attracting more decentralized finance projects and institutional interest to the Ethereum ecosystem.
Developers view these developments as part of a long-term scaling process. The ecosystem's average transactions per second across all layers has risen from around 250 at the start of the year to 325, highlighting significant progress. With the theoretical ceiling of networks like Solana (65,000 TPS) in sight, some researchers believe Ethereum could target 100,000 TPS after future upgrades, setting new standards for blockchain performance and adoption.
