Base led Ethereum’s layer-2 fee rankings on January 14, generating about $147,000 in daily revenue. This figure significantly outpaced Arbitrum’s roughly $39,000 and Starknet’s $9,000, according to data shared by CryptoRank.io.
The data indicates a substantial concentration of activity on a single network, even as most other Ethereum scaling chains struggled to clear $5,000 in fees over the same 24-hour period.
Base Pulls Ahead as Fee Data Shows Widening Gaps
CryptoRank reported that Base’s share of total Ethereum L2 revenue was nearing 70% based on the January 14 snapshot. In contrast, all other L2s combined brought in just over $15,000. Linea posted around $4,500 in fees, Optimism $2,400, Unichain $2,000, Ink $1,500, zkSync $900, and Scroll $600, illustrating the limited fee generation outside the top tier.
These fee figures quickly sparked debate on social media. Some users pointed to Polygon’s much higher revenue on the same day. Crypto analyst Vadim and X user New York Pascal both posted that Polygon recorded approximately $155,000 in daily fees, slightly above Base’s total, referencing a network-wide revenue table from DefiLlama shared shortly after CryptoRank’s post.
This comparison raised questions about Polygon's classification. X user Thorex questioned whether Polygon should be considered an L2 at all, reflecting an ongoing community discussion about Polygon’s diverse scaling solutions, which include its proof-of-stake chain and newer zero-knowledge products.
The distinction is significant because CryptoRank’s analysis focused specifically on Ethereum L2s, whereas Polygon’s revenue figures often encompass activity from its broader ecosystem.
DefiLlama’s revenue table showed Tron at the top across all chains with more than $1 million in daily fees. This was followed by Polygon, Base, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Arbitrum. Within this broader context, Base still ranked near the top for Ethereum-aligned networks, even if it was not the highest-earning chain overall.
Ecosystem Growth Adds Context to Base’s Fee Strength
Base’s recent fee performance coincides with Coinbase’s continued expansion of products built on the network. Late last year, the exchange launched its tokenized “Everything app,” a rebranded version of Coinbase Wallet. This application integrates social content, trading, and payments within a single interface.
The company stated that the app, now available in over 140 countries, is built on Base. It utilizes tokenized posts and assets that can be traded directly from a social-style feed. The launch introduced novel ways for users to interact on-chain, including earning from content engagement and instant settlement of rewards to their wallets.
Although Coinbase has not provided a direct correlation between the app and daily fee totals, the timing helps explain why Base continues to attract activity. This is particularly notable when compared to other L2s that lack a similar consumer-facing funnel.