Bitcoin Transaction Fees Hit Lowest Level Since 2017: But It’s Not Due to Weak Demand

The average transaction fee on the Bitcoin network has fallen below $0.40 for the first time since 2017, according to on-chain data shared by analyst Darkfost.

The drop is markedly different from other times in the past when low costs were triggered by low usage, as it has come while daily transaction counts are still relatively high.

What Is Driving Down Fees

According to Darkfost, the decline is largely due to the introduction of inscriptions, a technical adjustment that helps limit the weight of transactions in each block. In doing so, the adjustment appears to have reduced competition for block space, which has led to lower fees even though activity hasn’t dropped yet.

“Even though this was implemented through a soft fork, it still represents a significant development for Bitcoin,” Darkfost said of the change.”

The analyst also noted that, on average, the Bitcoin network’s processed transactions have remained relatively stable, which they described as “far from low.” They also pointed out that historically, the highest fees on Bitcoin have often appeared during price peaks, while the lowest came near bear market phases, similar to what is being experienced currently.

At the time of writing, BTC was trading close to $69,000. This is down more than 17% from the past year and about 45% from its all-time high of over $126,000 in October 2025. The 30-day performance is a little better; CoinGecko data shows that BTC gained almost 4% in that time, while it lost 7% in the last week.

The elevated volatility has been due in part to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which saw BTC drop to the $65,000 level on Monday, recover past $68,000 on Tuesday, and fall again to $66,000, before climbing back toward $69,000 after reports emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to deliver a major update on the conflict.

This Is Where Bitcoin Goes Next

Analysts have suggested that the price behavior described above matches patterns seen during consolidation periods, when value moved within set ranges, and traders tried to figure out which way to go.

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On Monday, Coinglass reported that momentum was largely tentative, with the short-term structure still being defined by lower highs. At the same time, observers at CryptoQuant noted that Bitcoin had dipped back into an accumulation zone, with large holders becoming more active on Binance, depositing large batches of the cryptocurrency.

From all the data, the market appears to be neither in an uptrend nor in a downtrend but rather trading in a wide band, identified by Daan Crypto Trades as lying between $60,000 and $80,000, with the lower transaction costs coinciding with a period of price consolidation and cautious positioning.

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