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Ethereum fees can be high due to several factors:

Network Congestion: The Ethereum network is often congested with a high volume of transactions, especially during periods of increased activity. This congestion leads to competition among users to have their transactions processed, driving up the fees.

Gas Price Market Dynamics: The gas price, which determines the priority of transactions, is determined by market dynamics. Miners prioritize transactions with higher gas prices to maximize their earnings. During times of high demand, gas prices can spike, resulting in higher fees for users.

Complex Smart Contracts: Ethereum supports smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with predefined conditions. Transactions involving complex smart contracts require more computational resources, leading to higher fees.

Scalability Challenges: Ethereum has faced scalability challenges, with limitations on the number of transactions the network can handle per second. This limitation contributes to network congestion and higher fees.

1. Network Congestion: The Ethereum network is often congested with a high volume of transactions, especially during periods of increased activity. This congestion leads to competition among users to have their transactions processed, driving up the fees. 
2. Gas Price Market Dynamics: The gas price, which determines the priority of transactions, is determined by market dynamics. Miners prioritize transactions with higher gas prices to maximize their earnings. During times of high demand, gas prices can spike, resulting in higher fees for users. 
3. Complex Smart Contracts: Ethereum supports smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with predefined conditions. Transactions involving complex smart contracts require more computational resources, leading to higher fees. 
4. Scalability Challenges: Ethereum has faced scalability challenges, with limitations on the number of transactions the network can handle per second. This limitation contributes to network congestion and higher fees.

It's important to note that the Ethereum network is actively working on addressing scalability through upgrades like Ethereum 2.0, which aims to improve network efficiency and reduce fees.

In the meantime, users can optimize their fee costs by adjusting the gas price and gas limit when submitting transactions. They can also choose periods of lower network congestion to reduce fees. Additionally, layer-2 solutions and alternative blockchains may offer lower fee alternatives for certain transactions.