Ethereum All-Time High in Daily Transactions: 1.87 Million Surpasses 2021 NFT Boom Levels

Ethereum has achieved a new ETH all-time high in daily transaction volume, reaching 1.87 million transactions, according to The Block data. The seven-day moving average peaked at this level, surpassing the previous record of 1.61 million set on May 10, 2021—during the height of the NFT and DeFi summer boom—and eclipsing the more recent high of 1.73 million recorded on August 9, 2025.

(Sources: The Block)

This milestone reflects a powerful convergence of network upgrades, institutional inflows through ETFs, and accelerating real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, signaling structural growth rather than speculative hype. This analyst insight examines the drivers behind Ethereum’s all-time high transaction count, the role of recent Ethereum upgrades, NFT news crypto context, supporting on-chain metrics, and the outlook for 2026 as of January 13, 2026.

Record Transaction Volume: Breaking Past Highs

The ETH all-time high of 1.87 million daily transactions on December 31, 2025, marks a decisive new peak in network usage:

• Previous Record: 1.61 million (May 10, 2021 – NFT/DeFi summer peak).
• Recent High: 1.73 million (August 9, 2025).
• 7-Day MA Peak: Matched the daily high, confirming sustained activity.
• Active Addresses: Climbed to 728,904—highest since May 12, 2021.
• New Addresses: +270,160 in a single day—largest daily influx since early 2018.

Unlike the 2021 spike—driven largely by speculative NFT minting and DeFi yield farming—the current surge appears more broad-based and sustainable, supported by lower fees, improved UX, and institutional onboarding.

Ethereum Upgrades Fuel the Surge

Two major 2025 upgrades—Pectra and Fusaka—have dramatically enhanced Ethereum’s scalability and usability:

• Pectra: Increased blob throughput, introduced native account abstraction (smoother wallet UX), and raised validator staking limits.
• Fusaka: Activated PeerDAS (optimized data availability sampling), enabling higher blob counts without overburdening nodes.

These changes, combined with higher gas limits and continued zkEVM advancements, have significantly reduced average transaction costs while advancing Ethereum’s rollup-centric scaling roadmap. The result: dramatically higher throughput and broader participation.

Upcoming upgrades further reinforce the trend:

• Glamsterdam (early-to-mid 2026): Overall performance and decentralization optimizations.
• Hegota (second half 2026): Long-term sustainability improvements.

Nick Ruck, director of LVRG Research, noted: “The recent surge reflects a powerful combination of network upgrades that have lowered fees and improved scalability, together with growing institutional participation through ETFs and RWA tokenization.”

NFT News & Crypto: Ethereum Retains Dominance Despite Competition

Despite the rise of high-throughput competitors, Ethereum continues to lead key verticals:

• Majority of stablecoin activity.
• Most RWA tokenization volume.
• Leading yield and staking protocols.
• Significant share of trading, gaming, and NFT activity (especially on EVM-compatible chains).

Justin d’Anethan of Arctic Digital emphasized: “Even with clear and powerful competitors, Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains still host the lion’s share of stablecoins, RWAs, yield, staking, trading, gaming, and NFT activity. When investors capitulate or become distracted during periods of tame price action, it often sets up the conditions for massive surprise moves and large allocator participation. That setup appears to be forming with Ethereum right now.”

While the 2021 ETH all-time high was fueled by NFT mania, the current record reflects more foundational usage: institutional onboarding, RWA growth, and Layer-2 scaling.

On-Chain Metrics Signal Genuine Network Strength

Supporting data confirms the ETH all-time high is structural rather than speculative:

• Active Addresses: Multi-year high at 728,904.
• New Address Creation: Largest daily influx since early 2018.
• Blob Usage: Sustained high levels post-Fusaka.
• Rollup Activity: Reflecting real scaling progress.

These metrics indicate broad-based participation across retail, DeFi, and institutional users.

Outlook for Ethereum in 2026

With two more major upgrades scheduled (Glamsterdam and Hegota) and continued dominance in high-value verticals (stablecoins, RWAs, staking, yield), Ethereum is positioned for further network expansion in 2026. While competitors challenge on throughput and fees, Ethereum’s first-mover advantage, developer ecosystem, and institutional integrations (ETFs, RWAs, staking infrastructure) provide durable tailwinds.

The ETH all-time high in transaction count on December 31, 2025, may mark the beginning of a broader re-acceleration phase—one driven less by speculative NFT mania (as in 2021) and more by foundational infrastructure usage and real economic activity.

In summary, Ethereum’s record 1.87 million daily transactions on December 31, 2025, surpassing the 2021 NFT boom peak, reflects genuine network growth powered by Ethereum upgrades (Pectra & Fusaka), institutional adoption, and RWA tokenization. Active addresses at multi-year highs, massive new address creation, and sustained Layer-2 activity confirm the surge is structural rather than fleeting. As upcoming upgrades continue to enhance scalability and usability, Ethereum remains the dominant platform for high-value DeFi, stablecoins, and tokenized assets. The current ETH all-time high in usage may signal the early stages of a sustained re-acceleration phase in 2026. Monitor blob usage, active address trends, and ETF flows for confirmation of continued momentum—always reference primary on-chain data providers and regulated sources when evaluating Ethereum and cryptocurrency markets.