Ethereum has convincingly demonstrated its growing scalability, with the ecosystem setting a remarkable new record by processing 24,192 transactions per second (TPS) on November 6, 2025. This milestone marks a significant leap in network capacity and is a direct result of the increasing adoption and performance of Layer 2 scaling solutions.
A New Benchmark for Speed
This record-breaking TPS figure represents the combined throughput of the entire Ethereum ecosystem, primarily driven by its Layer 2 networks. The decentralized perpetual futures platform Lighter has been a major contributor, consistently processing around 4,000 TPS on its own since its integration. To put this in perspective, Lighter’s throughput significantly outpaces other Layer 2s, such as the Base chain, which typically handles between 100 and 200 TPS.
The achievement was celebrated across the community, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin simply stating, “Ethereum is scaling”, a sentiment that echoes the optimistic mood regarding the network’s evolving roadmap.
The Technology Behind the Surge
This surge in transaction capacity is largely attributed to advanced cryptographic technology and strategic upgrades. Lighter and other high-performance Layer 2s heavily utilize zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs), a method that allows for the efficient bundling and verification of transactions off-chain before submitting a single, compact proof to the Ethereum mainnet.
Ryan Sean Adams, host of the Bankless podcast, highlighted that Layer 2 solutions are now adding a 200x scaling factor to Ethereum. He attributes this largely to the rise of ZK-proof technology, suggesting that this is just the beginning, with future milestones of 100,000 TPS and even 1 million TPS on the horizon. Furthermore, foundational upgrades to Ethereum itself, like Dencun and Pectra, have improved data availability and reduced costs for these Layer 2 networks, creating a fertile ground for this growth.
Growing PAins and the Road Ahead
Despite the impressive achievement, the rapid growth has exposed some operational challenges. Lighter has experienced network outages since its launch. In response to a notable disruption on October 28, 2025, the team compensated nearly 3,900 wallets with $774,872 in USDC. These incidents underscore the importance of stability and reliability as these new technologies mature.
Looking forward, the momentum for Ethereum’s scaling is expected to continue. Analytics platform GrowThePie predicts that the Ethereum mainnet, supported by the relentless expansion of Layer 2 solutions, could reach 10,000 TPS by 2031. This progression indicates that the record set today is likely a stepping stone to even greater network capacity and efficiency in the near future.
