Ethereum Mainnet Reclaims Network Activity Supremacy Over Layer-2 Solutions

Ethereum’s mainnet has surged past all layer-2 networks combined in daily active addresses during January, marking a significant shift in network utilization patterns that challenges the conventional narrative around scaling solutions. The development underscores the evolving dynamics between Ethereum’s base layer and its scaling infrastructure, with security considerations playing a crucial role in user behavior.

The mainnet’s resurgence in daily active addresses represents more than just a statistical milestone—it reflects fundamental changes in how users interact with the Ethereum ecosystem. While layer-2 solutions like Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism have collectively processed billions in transaction volume, the concentration of user activity on the mainnet suggests that security concerns and trust factors continue to drive decision-making in the digital asset space.

Security analysts have identified address poisoning attacks as a contributing factor to the mainnet activity spike. These sophisticated attacks exploit user interface vulnerabilities by creating addresses that closely resemble legitimate ones, tricking users into sending funds to attacker-controlled wallets. The lower transaction costs on layer-2 networks have inadvertently made such spam campaigns more economically viable, inflating on-chain activity metrics across the ecosystem.

The current market environment adds context to these network dynamics. Ethereum trades at $2,949.45, down 2.45% in the past 24 hours and 11.06% over the past week. The token maintains its position as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization at $356.3 billion, representing 11.79% of the total crypto market dominance. Trading volume of $21.4 billion over 24 hours indicates sustained institutional and retail interest despite the recent price decline.

This mainnet activity surge occurs against a backdrop of broader security incidents across the blockchain ecosystem. Account compromise incidents increased by 389% in 2025, with cybersecurity threats evolving to target both traditional and decentralized financial infrastructure. The legal industry faced the highest number of targeted attacks, while software companies experienced a 15% increase in security incidents year-over-year.

The technical implications of increased mainnet usage extend beyond simple transaction counts. Higher activity levels on Ethereum’s base layer create network congestion and drive up gas fees, potentially pushing more users toward layer-2 solutions over time. This creates a cyclical pattern where mainnet congestion incentivizes layer-2 adoption, while security concerns draw users back to the more established base layer.

Institutional adoption patterns reveal additional complexity in network usage trends. BlackRock’s cryptocurrency ETFs accumulated over $1 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum positions in a single week, demonstrating continued institutional appetite for direct exposure to major digital assets rather than layer-2 tokens. This institutional preference for mainnet assets reinforces the security premium associated with Ethereum’s base layer.

The regulatory landscape continues to influence network activity patterns. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s recent policy shifts have enabled prediction markets like Kalshi to operate legally in the United States, while new layer-1 blockchains like 1024Chain launch with specialized features for derivatives trading. These developments create competitive pressure on both Ethereum mainnet and its layer-2 ecosystem.

From a technical analysis perspective, the concentration of activity on Ethereum mainnet suggests that users prioritize security and finality over transaction cost savings. Layer-2 solutions, despite offering significantly lower fees and faster transaction confirmation times, still rely on the mainnet for ultimate security and dispute resolution. This dependency relationship means that mainnet strength directly impacts layer-2 network confidence.

The current market structure, with Bitcoin maintaining 59.2% dominance in a $3.02 trillion total market cap, provides context for Ethereum’s position. As the second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum serves as the foundation for the majority of decentralized finance applications, non-fungible token marketplaces, and enterprise blockchain implementations.

Looking ahead, the balance between mainnet and layer-2 activity will likely depend on several factors: the implementation of Ethereum’s roadmap improvements, the development of more sophisticated security measures for layer-2 networks, and the evolution of user preferences regarding transaction costs versus security guarantees. The current trend toward mainnet activity concentration suggests that users remain willing to pay premium fees for maximum security, even as alternative scaling solutions mature.

The January activity patterns establish a new baseline for measuring network health and user engagement across the Ethereum ecosystem. As both mainnet improvements and layer-2 innovations continue to develop, understanding these usage patterns becomes critical for predicting future network evolution and investment flows within the broader cryptocurrency market structure.