# Ethereum TPS: Mainnet and Layer 2 Transactions per Second

> Ethereum TPS block by block: transactions per second on mainnet and each layer 2, combined ecosystem TPS and gas per second, without system transactions.

Markdown copy of https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/ethereum-tps

**Question:** How many transactions per second do Ethereum and its layer 2s process right now, in total and per chain?

- Kind: Dashboard in Voltfin Vantage
- Topic: [Layer 2s](https://voltfincrypto.com/topics/layer-2)
- Chains: Multi-chain, Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, OP Mainnet, ZKsync, Linea, Scroll, Unichain
- Status: Planned. The data is not published yet, so this page states no figure; each figure will open its receipt when it is.

Ethereum TPS is the number of transactions Ethereum and its layer 2s include each second. This dashboard counts them from each chain's own blocks, on mainnet and on every covered rollup, then adds them into one ecosystem figure, so the throughput of the whole network and of each chain can be read side by side.

Transactions per second is a blunt measure: one transaction can be a plain transfer or a heavy contract call. So the dashboard pairs it with gas per second, which counts the computation the chains actually did. Protocol bookkeeping, such as the deposit that opens every OP Stack block, is left out, so the count reflects transactions that people and apps sent.

Use it to see which layer 2s carry the load, how throughput moves through the day and whether a spike is broad activity or one busy contract. Every figure is pinned to the blocks it was counted from.

## Blueprint

### Now

Throughput over the last hour, combined and per chain.

- **Ethereum ecosystem TPS** (tx per second): Transactions per second across Ethereum and every covered layer 2 over the last hour, system transactions left out.
- **Ethereum mainnet TPS** (tx per second): Transactions per second on Ethereum mainnet over the last hour, from the blocks in that window.
- **Layer 2 share of transactions** (%): Layer 2 transactions as a share of every transaction in the ecosystem over the last hour.
- **Gas per second, combined** (gas per second): Gas used per second across Ethereum and the covered layer 2s over the last hour, summed from block headers.
- **TPS by chain** (tx per second): Transactions per second on each chain over the last hour, from highest to lowest, with mainnet and each layer 2 as its own bar.
- **Throughput by chain**: For each chain: TPS and gas per second over the last hour and the last 24 hours, its block time and the block range counted.

### History

How throughput moved day by day and which days were busiest.

- **Average ecosystem TPS, period** (tx per second): Average transactions per second across Ethereum and the covered layer 2s over the selected period.
- **Highest daily average TPS** (tx per second): The highest single-day average TPS of the selected period, with the day and the chains that carried it.
- **Gas per second by day** (gas per second): Average gas used per second on each day, on Ethereum and on the five busiest layer 2s.
- **TPS by day and chain** (tx per second): Average transactions per second of each day, stacked by chain, from every block of the day.

Filters: Period (Last week, month, quarter or year); Chain (Ethereum, any covered layer 2 or all combined).

## How it will be measured

- TPS is the number of transactions in a window of blocks divided by the seconds that window covers, measured from block timestamps, so chains with different block times are measured the same way.
- System transactions are left out: the L1 attributes deposit that opens every OP Stack block and the ArbOS internal transactions on Arbitrum. User deposits from Ethereum are counted.
- Gas per second sums gas_used from the block headers of the same window, a measure of computation that does not depend on how work is split into transactions.
- The ecosystem figure adds Ethereum and every covered layer 2. Batches that rollups post to Ethereum are Ethereum transactions and are counted there, once.
- Every figure names the first and last block of its window on each chain, with block numbers and hashes, so the count can be run again.

## Data it needs

- `gas_blocks` (to build): Base fee, priority fee percentiles, gas used and gas limit for each block on fee-market chains, for a near-live gas tracker.
- `chain_activity_daily` (to build): Transactions, active sending addresses, new addresses, contracts created and gas used on each chain per day, counted from blocks and transactions.
- Source: Block timestamps, transaction counts and gas_used from eth_getBlockByNumber on Ethereum and each covered layer 2
- Source: Transaction type and sender, to drop OP Stack L1 attributes deposits (type 0x7E from the depositor account) and Arbitrum internal transactions (type 0x6A)
- Source: A registry of covered layer 2s with their stack and block time

## Questions

### What is Ethereum's TPS?

Ethereum TPS is how many transactions the chain includes per second, averaged over a window of blocks. Mainnet has a fixed time per slot and caps the gas each block may use, so its throughput is bounded by how much gas fits in a block; layer 2s add their own capacity on top.

### Why do layer 2s process more transactions than Ethereum?

A layer 2 executes transactions on its own chain and posts them to Ethereum in compressed batches, so many layer 2 transactions share the cost of one Ethereum transaction. Each rollup sets its own block time and gas limit, independently of mainnet.

### Is TPS a good way to compare chains?

Only in part. Transactions differ in size: a token transfer uses far less gas than a swap routed through several pools. Gas per second shows how much work each chain actually did, so the dashboard shows both measures side by side.

### Which transactions are left out of TPS?

Transactions the protocol creates for its own bookkeeping: the L1 attributes deposit at the start of each OP Stack block and ArbOS internal transactions on Arbitrum. Counting them would add a fixed amount per block that no user sent.

### What is the highest TPS Ethereum and its layer 2s have reached?

The history page shows the highest daily average for the ecosystem and for each chain, with the blocks it was counted from. Single-block peaks are not used, because one full block says little about sustained throughput.

## Glossary

- **TPS**: Transactions per second: the transactions included in a window of blocks divided by the seconds the window covers.
- **Gas per second**: Gas used by every block in a window divided by the seconds it covers: a measure of computation rather than of transaction count.
- **System transaction**: A transaction that a chain's protocol inserts itself, such as the L1 attributes deposit in OP Stack blocks, rather than one a user signs.

## Related apps

- [Blockchain TPS Tracker: Measured Throughput by Chain](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/blockchain-tps-tracker)
- [Ethereum Daily Transactions and Active Addresses](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/ethereum-daily-transactions)
- [Ethereum Layer 2 List Ranked by Activity, Fees and Value](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/ethereum-layer-2-list)
- [Base Chain Stats: Transactions, Users and Fees](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/base-chain-stats)
- [Ethereum Gas Limit Tracker: Block Gas Limit Over Time](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/ethereum-gas-limit)
- [Ethereum L2 Fees Compared: Cost per Transaction](https://voltfincrypto.com/apps/ethereum-l2-fees)

Build it in Voltfin Studio: https://app.voltfincrypto.com/signup?next=%2F