Quick Breakdown
- Ethereum averaged 327,000 new wallets daily last week, peaking at 393,000 on January 11, 2026, the highest ever recorded.
- Total non-empty ETH wallets reached 172.9 million, an all-time high, signalling a fresh influx of users and institutions.
- ETH price climbed 7.5% to $3,330, driven by lower fees following the Fusaka upgrade and stablecoin transfer spikes.
Ethereum network activity exploded in early January 2026, with new wallet creation shattering records as on-chain analytics firm Santiment reported an average of 327,000 daily addresses over the past week. The single-day peak hit over 393,000 wallets on Sunday, January 11, pushing non-empty wallets to 172.9 million, a historic milestone reflecting surging adoption. This growth coincides with Ether trading around $3,330, up 7.5% in 24 hours after ranging between $3,068 and $3,292 last week.
📈 BREAKING: Ethereum’s new wallet growth has reached new all-time high levels. Over the past week, crypto’s #2 market cap has seen an average of 327.1K new $ETH wallets created per day, including a 393.6K day Sunday (the highest ever).
📊 There can be several reasons attributed… pic.twitter.com/zD1YcOV3wO
— Santiment (@santimentfeed) January 13, 2026
Fusaka upgrade fuels fee cuts, user onboarding
The Fusaka upgrade, activated on December 3, 2025, slashed transaction costs by raising the block gas limit from 45 million to 150 million and by introducing PeerDAS data availability sampling and Verkle Trees for efficient data handling. These changes streamlined Layer 2 interactions and rollup postings back to mainnet, making Ethereum cheaper and smoother for apps, DeFi, and NFTs. Santiment analysts credit this for drawing new users, as reduced fees removed key barriers to entry.
Stablecoins, sentiment drive real usage spike
Late 2025 stablecoin transfer volumes on Ethereum highlighted active payments and settlements, pulling in participants for holding and transacting tokens. Holder sentiment flipped from negative to positive in mid-December, aligning with retail sign-ups amid year-end DeFi and NFT exploration. Over half of the ETH supply is now staked in contracts, with 77 million tokens in the Beacon Deposit securing the network, underscoring long-term commitment.
This wallet boom occurs even as ETH consolidates sideways, suggesting utility-led growth over speculation. Nansen data shows that exchanges like Binance (4 million ETH) and Coinbase (2.3 million ETH) hold significant stakes for users.
The record surge in Ethereum wallets and stablecoin usage highlights network momentum post-Fusaka. However, co-founder Vitalik Buterin stresses that true financial independence requires better decentralized stablecoins, addressing their reliance on the US Dollar and improving oracle security.
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