18 May Bitcoin transaction fees soar after Bitcoin halving
In brief
- Bitcoin’s average fees continue to soar post-halving.
- Average fees hit an 11-month high of $5.16 on May 14.
- Bitcoin’s blockchain mempool is backed up with 56MB of unconfirmed transactions.
Average transaction fees on the Bitcoin network have hit a new 11-month high. According to data from Bitinfocharts, the average fee paid for transacting on Bitcoin hit $5.16 on May 14—a phenomenon not witnessed since June 2019.
The average transaction cost increased 168% over the previous four days alone. Bitcoin fees have been on the rise ever since the turn of the year—and especially since the ramp-up to the block reward halving.
Seen below, BTC’s average fees rose an astonishing 1,742% since January 1. Yet the majority of that growth was kickstarted on April 28—exactly two weeks before Bitcoin’s halving event.
Typically, transaction fees increase when the Bitcoin network experiences periods of heavy usage. Competition for space in Bitcoin’s blocks…