TRON reaches 355 million accounts while TRX suffers its worst Q4 since 2017

Source: Yellow Original Title: TRON reaches 355 million accounts while TRX suffers its worst Q4 since 2017

Original Link: TRON (TRX) achieved a record network growth in 2025, even as TRX experienced its weakest quarterly performance in eight years.

The network added 355.4 million total accounts by December, processing over 8.8 million daily transactions. Nonetheless, TRX fell 16.2% in the fourth quarter, marking its worst quarterly performance since the token’s launch in 2017.

This divergence illustrates a key lesson in cryptocurrency markets: network adoption does not guarantee immediate price appreciation.

What happened

TRON cut its average network fees by approximately 60% in August 2025. The fee reduction significantly lowered stablecoin transfer costs and pushed TRON ahead of BNB Chain and Solana (SOL) in daily active users.

The network now maintains an average of 2.6 million daily active users, ranking second only behind Solana. TRON dominates retail USDT transfers under $1,000, with a 65% share of the global market.

The network processes over $22 billion in daily stablecoin settlement value. The USDT supply on TRON exceeds $80 billion, representing more than 50% of all circulating USDT.

The fee cut had countereffects. Daily revenue for Super Representatives dropped 64% within days of the August reduction. TRON prioritized transaction volume and utility over validators’ short-term economic incentives.

A U.S. federal agency selected TRON to publish on-chain hashes of official GDP data, marking the first time a federal agency used a public blockchain for economic data. The decision recognizes TRON’s demonstrated scale, speed, and reliability.

Despite network indicators reaching all-time highs, TRX underperformed major altcoins throughout the fourth quarter. Bitcoin (BTC) ETF launches, Solana ecosystem growth, and Ethereum (ETH) developments captured market attention.

TRX traded at $0.27 at the end of December, reflecting sustained selling pressure during the quarter.

Why it matters

TRON’s performance demonstrates that fundamental network growth can diverge from token price over extended periods. The cryptocurrency now functions as a primary layer of settlement for global payments with stablecoins, especially in emerging markets.

Approximately 74% of TRON’s daily active users conduct wallet-to-wallet transactions, the highest proportion among leading blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain. This reinforces TRON’s role as a retail-focused payments network rather than a speculative trading platform.

The total value locked (TVL) in the network grew from $4.9 billion to $6.0 billion in Q3 2025, driven by DeFi protocols. However, market participants showed limited interest in TRX as an investment asset during the same period.

TRON continues to face concerns over centralization. It has been claimed that founder Justin Sun controls over 60% of TRX tokens, raising questions about the network’s decentralization claims. Token ownership concentration presents governance risks that institutional investors typically avoid.

Other tokens launched within the ecosystem have experienced severe declines. Tokens like BTT, SUN, and WIN have fallen more than 95% from their all-time highs. This pattern suggests investor skepticism extends beyond TRON itself.

Technical analysts note that TRX has confirmed a breakdown of a descending wedge pattern on daily timeframes, generally associated with bullish reversals. However, broader market headwinds, including macroeconomic uncertainty and rotation into Bitcoin-centric narratives, have weakened sentiment.

TRON’s infrastructure advantages position it competitively for stablecoin settlement despite current price weakness. The network showed a transaction success rate of 99% in 2025, outperforming Ethereum at 97%, BNB Chain at 94%, and Solana at 86%.

Fee stability during volatile periods is a critical advantage. During major disruptions in the stablecoin market, TRON maintained average fees of $0.63 per transaction, while Ethereum fees spiked to between $15 and $30.

For investors, TRON offers a case study in distinguishing network fundamentals from speculative demand. The cryptocurrency remains a high-risk altcoin competing with established platforms despite strong usage metrics. Institutional adoption and regulatory clarity will likely determine whether TRON’s payment infrastructure translates into sustained token value appreciation beyond 2025.