In the past 21 months following the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559, Ethereum’s London hard fork has witnessed staggering destruction of over 3.33 million ether, valued at a jaw-dropping $6.1 billion. The burn rate currently stands at approximately 3.51 ether per minute, further solidifying the network’s unique burning phenomenon.
OpenSea helped Ethereum burn over 230,000 tokens
One prominent participant in this burning process since August 5, 2021, is the Opensea platform, known for its contributions to the destruction of 230,050 ETH. The London upgrade, marked as a significant event in Ethereum’s history, set the stage for what was to come. In the initial three months alone, over 700,000 ether was burned, foreshadowing the scale of future burn rates.
The primary driving force behind this burning lies in everyday traditional transfers of ether. Conventional ether transactions alone have resulted in the destruction of a substantial sum of 285,576 ether, valued at $522 million. Opensea follows as the second-largest contributor, with 230,050 ETH burned as a result of associated transactions. Uniswap v2 transactions have also played a notable role, contributing to the destruction of 179,571 ether since 2021. Collectively, these three burners account for nearly 700,000 ether.
Other notable contributors to the burn rate include Tether’s ERC20 transactions, which have played a role in the destruction of 146,837 ether, and Uniswap v3 transfers, which have burned 120,889 ETH. The all-time leaderboard features prominent burners such as Metamask, USDC, Otherdeed, and the creation of new contracts, highlighting the diverse range of contributors to Ethereum’s burning phenomenon.
Analysts explore the potential impact and value of the burned tokens
Examining the recent seven-day statistics, the burn rate amounts to 3.51 ether per minute, destroying over 28,000 Ethereum. Notably, Uniswap-associated transactions have surpassed conventional ETH transfers, solidifying their position as one of the leading burners in today’s Ethereum network.
To put the magnitude of the burned Ethereum into perspective, one can explore alternative uses for its value. In the United States, the current average price for a house stands at $436,000 per dwelling. The value of the burned Ethereum, estimated at $6.1 billion, could have been used to acquire approximately 14,000 homes at this average price. Alternatively, the same value could enable the purchase of around 25,206 low-end Lamborghini Huracan luxury automobiles, priced at $242,000 each.
Interestingly, a striking contrast emerges when comparing the expenditure patterns of the U.S. government. Between October 2021 and April 2022, the government was spending nearly $500 billion each month, burning through money faster than the Ethereum network. The network of bureaucrats exhausts $6.1 billion in a mere 8.8 hours, highlighting the remarkable speed at which government expenditure occurs.
The burn rates and the value of destroyed ether in its network demonstrate the significant economic activity and the transformative power of decentralized finance. As Ethereum continues to evolve and undergo further upgrades, the burning phenomenon will likely continue, shaping the ecosystem’s dynamics and fostering new possibilities for decentralized applications and economic models.
