Cardano Fees Covered Just 0.7% of Staking Rewards Amid 72% Transaction Decline

Cardano's transaction fees have covered only 0.7% of its staking rewards, according to recent data from Bitquery. The network collected 3.3 million ADA in fees during a period spanning 73 epochs ending September 1, 2026.

This leaves the reward total roughly 149.6 times larger than fee revenue. Staking rewards reached 493.7 million ADA across the same time frame. Reserve emissions supplied the dominant share of the reward economy during this period.

Cardano's transaction volume has declined significantly, with a 72% drop in transactions from 90,294 per day in 2022 to 24,869 per day in 2026. The network's fee structure and upcoming upgrades, such as Linear Leios, may address the issue of low fees.