What is gas fee in crypto?

What Is Gas Fee in Crypto?

Gas is the unit used to measure the work needed to process a transaction or run a smart contract on a blockchain (like Ethereum). You pay gas fees in the network's native coin (e.g. ETH). The fee compensates validators or miners and prevents spam. More complex operations cost more gas.

How It Works

Each operation (sending coins, swapping tokens, minting an NFT) has a gas cost. You set a "gas price" (how much you pay per unit of gas). During busy times, higher gas prices get included faster. Wallets often suggest a gas price; you can adjust it to pay more for speed or less and wait longer.

Tips

Simple transfers cost less than contract calls. Layer 2 networks and other chains often have much lower fees. Check the network before sending: using the wrong network can mean lost funds. In India, gas fees are part of your cost when you trade or move crypto.