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[Ilya Osipov]

What Is Gas Fee and Why It Changes

If you use crypto transfers or deposits, you’ve likely seen transaction fees fluctuate. This fee is called gas fee. Below is a concise, fact-based explanation of what it is and why it varies.

What gas fee is

Gas fee is the cost of processing a transaction or executing an operation on a blockchain. It is paid to the network (validators or miners), not to wallets, exchanges, or platforms.

Gas fees compensate for computational resources and protect networks from spam. Importantly, the fee is not tied to the transaction amount — sending 10 USDT or 10,000 USDT on the same network usually costs the same.

Where gas comes from

The concept became standard with Ethereum (2015), which introduced a model where every operation has a predefined gas cost. Users then choose how much to pay per unit of gas to prioritize their transaction. This approach was designed to prevent abuse and manage network congestion. Many blockchains later adopted similar models.

Why gas fees change

Gas fees are dynamic and depend mainly on network load.

Each block has limited capacity. When demand is high, users compete for inclusion by offering higher fees. When activity drops, fees decrease.

Main factors:

• Network congestion (token launches, NFT mints, market volatility, airdrops)

• Blockchain design and throughput

• Transaction priority selected in the wallet

• Operation complexity (simple transfers vs smart contracts)

Typical fee ranges

While fees fluctuate, average levels give context:

• Ethereum (ERC‑20): from a few dollars up to $20–$100+ during congestion

• BNB Chain (BEP‑20): usually around $0.10–$0.50

• TRON (TRC‑20): often below $1

• Solana: typically fractions of a cent

Why fees spike suddenly

Sharp increases usually occur during short-term demand shocks, such as popular launches, large airdrops, or rapid market moves. Fees can rise several times within minutes.

How to reduce gas costs

Gas fees can’t be avoided, but they can be optimized:

• choose lower-fee networks when possible;

• avoid peak activity periods;

• don’t overpay for priority if speed isn’t critical;

• check current fee estimates before sending.

Key takeaway

In short, gas fees aren’t random or added by platforms. They go up when the network is busy and drop when activity slows down. Knowing how this works makes it easier to pick the right network and avoid paying more than you need to.

[philip]

Good explanation

[Povar]

Just now, philip said:

Good explanation

Yea bc a lot of people still think the platform takes the gas fee

[Times flys]

😆

[Shadow222]

27 minutes ago, Povar said:

Yea bc a lot of people still think the platform takes the gas fee

Yeah I used to think that too

[Shadow222]

 Thought wallets were scamming me until I looked it up 😃

[Maruas Dex]

Erc during nft hype was insane