Arbitrum, a layer 2 network integrated with the Ethereum blockchain, is showing robust performance as the new year unfolds. The platform has witnessed significant increases in both trading volume and the valuation of its native token, ARB, indicating a promising trajectory for Arbitrum in the early stages of the year.
Arbitrum’s DeFi ecosystem is thriving, with on-chain data from DeFiLlama revealing that its decentralized exchanges (DEX) have outpaced those on other blockchains, including Binance Smart Chain, Solana, and Polygon, in the past week. Notably, on January 5, Arbitrum briefly surpassed Ethereum’s mainnet in DEX volume, highlighting its notable growth.
This success can be attributed to a surge in crypto investors utilizing the network’s cost-effective transaction fees. L2Fees data indicates that Arbitrum boasts one of the most economical transaction fee averages at $0.26, compared to Ethereum’s network with an average fee exceeding $5. This affordability factor has contributed to the significant increase in trading volume on Arbitrum’s DEXes.
Although Ethereum’s DEX volume has reclaimed its top position, these metrics underscore Arbitrum’s rapid growth since its inception. On-chain data from L2Beat reveals that Arbitrum’s daily transactions per second average 12.85, placing it among the top three Ethereum-based layer 2 networks, trailing only zkSync Era and Ethereum itself.
The heightened network activity and surging DEX volume have led to a substantial increase in the total value locked (TVL) within Arbitrum’s blockchain. Since the beginning of the year, the platform has seen a positive net flow exceeding $250 million, pushing its TVL to an all-time high of $2.64 billion on January 12.
Simultaneously, Arbitrum’s native token, ARB, has displayed remarkable performance, showing a more than 20% increase this year, outperforming major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, amidst the recent broader crypto market downturn, the ARB token faced a notable impact, experiencing a decline of approximately 10% to $2.13 at the time of reporting.
