ETH Price and Market Cap Surge Over 6 Years
- Price growth: From $2.77 (2015) to $2,725.72 (984x increase)
- Market cap expansion: $200M → $318.8B (1,594x growth)
- Circulating supply: Increased 62.5% from 72M to 117M ETH
- All-time high: $4,181.28 (May 2021), representing 2,090x growth from genesis
Network Adoption Metrics
Address Growth
- 165M+ addresses (16,525x increase since genesis)
Annual growth rates:
- 2016-2018: 1,847%-2,237%
- 2019-2020: ~55%
- 2021: 26% YTD (projected to reach 200M by year-end)
👉 Discover how Ethereum's adoption compares to other leading blockchains
Transaction Activity
- Daily transactions: 1.29M (12,900% increase)
- 2021 transaction volume: Up 36% vs. 2020
- Settlement volume: 318K ETH/day (413% growth)
Network Performance and Economics
Gas Price Trends
- 2021 average: 104.77 Gwei (most expensive year)
- 33% increase since genesis
- London upgrade expected to reduce fee volatility
Security Enhancements
- Hashrate: 583.15 TH/s (58,300x growth)
- 2021 average hashrate: 485.65 TH/s (131% YoY increase)
Historic growth phases:
- 2017-2018: 4,730% surge
- 2019: 48% decline
- 2020-present: Renewed growth
FAQs About Ethereum's Evolution
How has Ethereum's supply changed?
The circulating supply grew 62.5% from 72M to 117M ETH, with annual growth rates decreasing from ~13% (2016-2017) to 4.54% (2020).
What drives transaction growth?
Increased DeFi and NFT activity contributed to 36% transaction growth in 2021, with daily averages reaching 1.29M transactions.
👉 Learn about Ethereum's ecosystem expansion
How will EIP-1559 affect ETH?
The London upgrade introduces ETH burns, creating long-term deflationary pressure on the supply.
What security improvements occurred?
Network hashrate grew 58,300x since launch, with 2021 showing 131% YoY growth in mining power securing the chain.
Conclusion: A Maturing Ecosystem
Ethereum's six-year evolution demonstrates remarkable technical and economic progress. With key upgrades like London now live and adoption metrics continuing their upward trajectory, the network shows no signs of slowing its pace of innovation.
The data reveals an ecosystem transitioning from early experimentation to global infrastructure - one that's managing scaling challenges while maintaining robust security and growing developer activity.
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