[CoinDesk] A bitcoin block just neared a 2015 transaction record, but paid only $180 in fees

AntPool mined a Bitcoin block that came within 984 transactions of the network’s 2015 record for transaction count, yet generated only about $180 in fees—less than 0.1% of the miner’s total payout. The near-record throughput came without the fee pressure that typically accompanies congestion, underscoring how cheap block space has become. The result highlights the tension between rising transaction capacity and miners’ shrinking fee revenue as subsidies decline. Watch whether sustained high transaction counts can translate into meaningful fee income, or whether low fees persist as a structural drag on miner economics.