Crypto: Polygon Outperforms Ethereum on Fees, Demand Rises

For a long time, paying high fees on Ethereum symbolized security and prestige. But the market follows usage: in recent days, Polygon has generated more daily fees than Ethereum. This is not just a statistical anomaly, it is a concrete signal of activity shift and a question about the real evolution of crypto demand in 2026.

Rising fees on Polygon… because attention has shifted

While Polygon has cut 30% of its workforce, activity on the network tells another story. The numbers speak for themselves: Polygon collected about $407,100 in fees for one day, against $211,700 on Ethereum’s side. The next day, the gap narrowed, but the observation remains clear: Polygon stayed neck and neck, even ahead, for several days. This is not just a “spike.”

This type of shift is interesting because it breaks a mental habit. Many confuse “most important chain” and “most used chain today.” Yet importance can be structural, while usage can be opportunistic. Users go where the app is simple, fast, and where the experience doesn’t disrupt their flow.

And this is where Layer-2 solutions make perfect sense. They don’t necessarily aim to dethrone ETH. They capture a very specific category of actions: numerous micro-interactions, often repeated, where fees become a psychological as well as an economic parameter.

Polymarket, the app that turns news into on-chain traffic

Polygon hosts Polymarket, a prediction market that has become one of the loudest applications currently. And here, “loud” does not mean marketing. It means volume. It means users coming back, adjusting, hedging, arbitraging.

An analyst even summed up the story bluntly: the recent growth of activity on Polygon would be mainly, or entirely, driven by Polymarket. This concentration is the detail that matters. This is not “Polygon winning everywhere.” This is an app sucking in attention, thus transactions, thus fees.

Polygon itself has highlighted spectacular spikes. A telling example: a single category of bets linked to the Oscars reportedly concentrated over 15 million dollars in wagers. This figure is not just a record. It’s a revelation. Prediction markets have become a format. A reflex. A way to “trade” information without going through classic channels.

USDC surge: the stablecoin mechanism accelerates everything

Polymarket uses USDC on Polygon. And this is exactly the kind of detail that changes the dynamic of a network. Stablecoins are the plumbing. When it heats up, everything else accelerates.

A figure circulated: Polygon would have reached a new weekly high with 28 million USDC transactions. Regardless of whether you are a “fan” or “hater” of Polygon, this volume tells a simple story: there is circulation. And circulation, in crypto, is often more important than the narrative.

This phenomenon fits into a broader trend: since the last US election, prediction markets have exploded in popularity. Snowball effect: several crypto players want to launch their own versions, while Polymarket is also under regulatory pressure. The competition is coming. But, for now, Polymarket’s advantage is having found the right mix: low friction, familiar stablecoin, addictive mechanics.