Polygon Surpasses Ethereum in Daily Transaction Fees

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-02-17Last updated on 2026-02-17

Abstract

According to data from Token Terminal, Polygon, a scaling solution for Ethereum, surpassed Ethereum in daily transaction fee revenue for the first time. On a recent Friday, Polygon generated $407,121 in fees compared to Ethereum's $211,790. This surge is largely attributed to heavy usage of the prediction market platform Polymarket, which has driven significant on-chain activity. For instance, an Oscars-related market on Polymarket saw over $15 million in wagers. Additionally, increased stablecoin activity, particularly USDC, on the Polygon network has contributed to this growth. While the trend continued over the weekend, fees have since normalized, with Ethereum regaining its lead. This event highlights a momentary shift in network activity, prompting discussions on long-term competition.

Polygon, a blockchain network built to scale Ethereum, has recorded higher daily transaction fee revenue than Ethereum for the first time ever, according to data from Token Terminal. The figures show that on Friday, Polygon earned $407.121K in transaction fees, while Ethereum generated $211.790K in the same 24‐hour period, marking a notable shift in network activity.

Over the following day, the trend continued until Sunday with a record of $303.9923K volume. On the latest close, Polygon’s daily transaction fees slightly slipped to $186.508k compared with about $262.710k on Ethereum.

Analysts and blockchain data observers attribute the surge in Polygon’s fee revenue mainly to heavy usage of Polymarket, a prediction market platform operating on the network. According to Matthias Seidl, co-founder of the analytics platform growthepie, recent increases in activity “have been fully driven by Polymarket,” with the platform generating more than $1 million in fees for Polygon over the past seven days.

Impact of Polymarket and Stablecoin Activity on Polygon’s Fees

Polymarket’s user engagement appears to have contributed considerably to the shift in on‐chain activity, as users place real‐world event wagers that require frequent transactions. Polymarket is a major prediction market platform in the blockchain space, which began operating in 2020 supported by Polygon. Polygon itself noted that, in one instance related to an Oscars market, more than $15 million in wagers were placed, further driving fee generation.

In addition to prediction market growth, Polygon has seen increased use of stablecoins on its network, particularly USDC, which has reached new weekly highs in transaction counts. This uptick in stablecoin activity suggests broader adoption across decentralized finance use cases.

While Ethereum remains the largest smart contract platform by market value and overall activity, these fee metrics reflect a momentary shift in daily revenue generation. Discussions in the blockchain community now focus on whether such patterns will persist and how they might influence long‐term network competition.

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Related Questions

QAccording to the data from Token Terminal, which blockchain network recorded higher daily transaction fee revenue than Ethereum for the first time ever?

APolygon

QWhat was the amount of transaction fees earned by Polygon on Friday, as mentioned in the article?

A$407.121K

QWhich specific prediction market platform is identified as the main driver behind the surge in Polygon's fee revenue?

APolymarket

QBesides prediction markets, what other type of asset's increased activity on Polygon has contributed to its fee generation, reaching new weekly highs?

AStablecoins, particularly USDC

QWhat significant event-related wager amount was placed on Polymarket, hosted on Polygon, that was highlighted as driving fee generation?

AMore than $15 million in wagers were placed on an Oscars market

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