Ethereum activity surge could be linked to dusting attacks: Researcher

The Ethereum network has recently experienced an unusual and persistent surge in transactional activity, prompting analysts to search for the underlying cause. While typical spikes in activity are generally attributable to major DeFi launches or highly anticipated NFT mints, the current rise appears highly inorganic, primarily driven by a high volume of low-value transfers that consume significant block space without yielding corresponding financial market action.

A blockchain security researcher, speaking under the condition that their affiliation remain confidential, suggested that this surge aligns perfectly with the characteristics of large-scale ‘dusting’ or spam attacks. Dusting attacks involve sending minuscule amounts of Ether or tokens (often referred to as ‘dust’) to thousands of disparate addresses simultaneously. The primary goal is not immediate financial gain, but rather a sophisticated attempt at de-anonymization. By correlating transaction patterns associated with these ‘dusted’ wallets, attackers hope to eventually identify the full ownership portfolios of large institutional holders or key service providers, thereby compromising their privacy and targeting them for future phishing or social engineering attacks.

This hypothesis is strongly supported by network data showing that a significant portion of the recent transactions utilize minimal gas limits and transfer values often below the cost of the transaction itself—behavior highly uncharacteristic of organic trading or standard operational movements. This malicious behavior artificially inflates the network’s overall load and can inadvertently contribute to higher base transaction fees (gas) for legitimate users.

While alternative explanations, such as intense bot testing or sophisticated Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) strategy testing, cannot be entirely ruled out, the sustained volume of micro-transactions strongly indicates a coordinated effort designed to profile and compromise wallet privacy across the Ethereum blockchain. Users are advised to remain vigilant regarding small, unsolicited transfers into their wallets, as these transfers may be the first step in a larger privacy invasion campaign.

Source: Ethereum activity surge could be linked to dusting attacks: Researcher