diff --git a/packages/assets-controller/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/assets-controller/CHANGELOG.md
index 3f2eff4d8e..80bc5d8767 100644
--- a/packages/assets-controller/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/assets-controller/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - `AccountsApiDataSource` now treats Accounts API `/v2/supportedNetworks` `partialSupport` as active chains in addition to `fullSupport`, still gated by the Snaps assets migration feature flags ([#10144](https://github.com/MetaMask/core/pull/10144))
 - `AccountsApiDataSource` now reads Accounts API `/v2/supportedNetworks` as CAIP-2 `fullSupport` and `partialSupport` string arrays, matching the current API payload
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Fix post-transaction balance refreshes for default-tracked native assets on AccountActivity-active chains ([#10198](https://github.com/MetaMask/core/pull/10198))
+
 ## [16.0.0]
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.test.ts b/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.test.ts
index dc31450f49..a8b699308c 100644
--- a/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.test.ts
+++ b/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.test.ts
@@ -3007,6 +3007,39 @@ describe('AssetsController', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('force refreshes default-tracked native assets even when the chain is AccountActivity-active', async () => {
+      await withController(async ({ controller, messenger }) => {
+        const getAssetsSpy = jest
+          .spyOn(controller, 'getAssets')
+          .mockResolvedValue({});
+
+        messenger.publish('AccountActivityService:statusChanged', {
+          chainIds: ['eip155:5042'],
+          status: 'up',
+        });
+
+        await flushPromises();
+
+        messenger.publish('TransactionController:transactionConfirmed', {
+          chainId: '0x13b2',
+          txParams: { from: '0x1234567890123456789012345678901234567890' },
+        });
+
+        await flushPromises();
+
+        expect(getAssetsSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          [expect.objectContaining({ id: MOCK_ACCOUNT_ID })],
+          {
+            chainIds: ['eip155:5042'],
+            forceUpdate: true,
+            bypassServerCache: true,
+          },
+        );
+
+        getAssetsSpy.mockRestore();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('publishes balanceChanged event when balance updates', async () => {
       await withController(async ({ controller, messenger }) => {
         const balanceChangedHandler = jest.fn();
diff --git a/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.ts b/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.ts
index e3dffd5630..bdf55c7778 100644
--- a/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.ts
+++ b/packages/assets-controller/src/AssetsController.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ import {
   DEFAULT_TRACKED_ASSETS_BY_CHAIN,
   buildDefaultAssetsInfo,
   getDefaultAssetMetadata,
+  getDefaultTrackedAssetsForChain,
 } from './defaults.js';
 import { AssetsDataSourceError } from './errors.js';
 import { projectLogger, createModuleLogger } from './logger.js';
@@ -1258,12 +1259,19 @@ export class AssetsController extends BaseController<
 
     const caipChainId = `eip155:${parseInt(hexChainId, 16)}` as ChainId;
 
+    const hasDefaultTrackedNativeAsset = getDefaultTrackedAssetsForChain(
+      caipChainId,
+    ).some((assetId) => assetId.includes('/slip44:'));
+
     // AccountActivity pushes live balance updates for its active chains; a
     // force getAssets would be redundant and can race the WebSocket path.
+    // Default-tracked native assets still need the full fetch pipeline because
+    // AccountActivity can miss their post-transaction balance updates.
     if (
       this.#accountActivityDataSource
         .getActiveChainsSync()
-        .includes(caipChainId)
+        .includes(caipChainId) &&
+      !hasDefaultTrackedNativeAsset
     ) {
       return;
     }