Ethereum's network saw robust performance in 2025, with record transaction volumes and a dominant 64% share in the DeFi market. Despite this, ETH's price fell 10% to below $3,000, diverging from network activity. This decline was attributed to Ethereum's strategic reduction of transaction fees through technical upgrades aimed at fostering L2 network growth and ecosystem expansion. As a result, mainnet revenue dropped significantly, with fees paid to the mainnet falling to $10 million, while L2 operators retained approximately $119 million in profit. This shift led to a $103 million decrease in mainnet revenue compared to 2024, as Ethereum effectively "sacrificed" over $100 million in potential revenue to support ecosystem development.