Catenaa, Sunday, January 25, 2026- Activity on the Ethereum network has surged sharply, partly driven by address poisoning attacks, as lower transaction fees make large-scale attacks cheaper, according to security researcher Andrey Sergeenkov.
Daily transactions recently neared 2.9 million, while the network added roughly 2.7 million new addresses in a single week, marking a 170% increase above typical levels, according to reports.
Sergeenkov warned that part of this growth may not reflect genuine user activity. Address poisoning involves sending tiny transfers from wallet addresses that closely resemble legitimate ones.
Users copying these addresses can unknowingly send funds to attackers. Since the Fusaka upgrade in December, which cut network fees by more than 60%, executing such attacks has become significantly cheaper.
Research tracking wallets that received under $1 in their first stablecoin transaction found clusters of “dust distributor” addresses.
Some of the most active accounts sent dust to over 400,000 addresses, contributing to at least $740,000 stolen from 116 victims.
The attacks exploit Ethereum’s efficiency gains, raising concerns that raw transaction metrics may overstate network adoption.
The surge also highlights a tension between scaling and security.
Lower fees have improved accessibility for users and developers, but also reduce the cost of abuse.
Sergeenkov emphasized the need for stronger wallet protections and clearer user warnings to prevent funds from being lost to these campaigns.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin framed the moment as a shift toward restoring user autonomy.
He said the network is entering a phase prioritizing self-sovereignty and trustlessness while maintaining accessibility and participation growth.
Ethereum’s activity spike is partly fueled by cheaper address poisoning attacks, highlighting risks alongside falling transaction fees and record participation.
