Fee Rate DistributionTRINITY EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE - Daily fee rate distribution showing median, P10, and P90 percentiles in sat/vB. Real blockchain fee rate data revealing network congestion patterns across time.
Trinity exclusive model
This metric is a proprietary Trinity Insights model. Its formula, inputs, weights and parameters are NOT disclosed. The page documents only the output (bounded scale, interpretation zones, historical context). Access to the score and its time series is via the REST API and the MCP server, subject to the required tier.
What is it?
Fee Rate Distribution displays three percentiles of the daily blockchain fee rate: median (v1, 50th percentile = typical rate), P10 (v2, 10th percentile = low fees, economy transactions) and P90 (v3, 90th percentile = high fees, priority transactions). Data comes directly from the Bitcoin full node - every confirmed transaction is analyzed for its fee rate (sat/vB). The P10-P90 spread measures fee dispersion: a wide spread indicates congestion, a narrow spread indicates a calm network.
How to read
The median (v1) is the most representative fee rate - 50% of transactions pay more, 50% pay less. P10 represents the realistic fee floor (cheapest transactions that still get confirmed). P90 represents the premium price for fast confirmation. When P90/P10 > 10×, the network is congested. When P90 ≈ P10 ≈ median (~1-2 sat/vB), the network is at rest.
Key zones
Median < 2 sat/vB: calm network, minimal fees. Median 5-20 sat/vB: moderate congestion. Median > 50 sat/vB: severe congestion (December 2017, Ordinals 2023). Historical peaks saw P90 > 500 sat/vB. In calm periods (2026), the median oscillates around 1-2 sat/vB with P90 at 3-4 sat/vB - a very uncongested network.
What to observe
The secular trend of fees is crucial for Bitcoin's security thesis. Fees must increase over time to compensate for the declining mining subsidy. Prolonged high-fee periods (2017, 2023) show block demand CAN generate significant revenue - but the question is whether this demand will be persistent or punctual. SegWit and Taproot adoption compress fees (more efficient transactions).
Historical context
Bitcoin fees went from near-zero (2009-2015) to peaks of $50+ per transaction (December 2017). SegWit adoption (2017-2019) and Taproot (2021+) improved efficiency. Ordinals (2023-2024) created a new source of block space demand, temporarily pushing fees to record levels. The background trend shows increasing fee volatility, with increasingly pronounced alternations between calm periods and congestion spikes.
Expert notes
⚠️ Trinity Exclusive Model - Percentiles are computed on CONFIRMED transactions (included in blocks), not on the pending mempool. They reflect what was paid and accepted, not what is waiting. The median underestimates the necessary fee during congestion because low-fee transactions only appear once the mempool clears. P90 is a better indicator of 'priority price' during congestion. The multi-curve display (median, P10, P90) in logarithmic scale is recommended to simultaneously visualize calm regimes (<5 sat/vB) and congestion spikes (>100 sat/vB).
Common mistakes to avoid
Confusing daily fee rates with real-time mempool is a common mistake. These are DAILY aggregates of confirmed transactions, not the instantaneous mempool state. For live mempool, a dedicated service (mempool.space) is needed. Similarly, low fees don't mean Bitcoin 'isn't being used' - it may simply indicate SegWit/Taproot is working well and capacity is sufficient.
Programmatic access
REST API
curl -sS \
'https://api.trinityinsights.io/api/v1/onchain/mempool-visualizer/history?days=90' \
-H 'X-API-Key: $TRINITY_API_KEY'MCP server
{
"tool": "get_chart_value",
"metric_id": "mempool-visualizer",
"timeframe": "1y"
}Required tier: performance. See the pricing grid for the tier list and the MCP documentation for multi-client configuration.
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Institutional disclaimer
Trinity Insights is an educational and analytical tool. The metric above does not constitute investment advice. Trinity Insights is not a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) registered under MiCA Regulation (EU) 2023/1114. See the full disclaimer.