How Ethereum Gas Fees Work
Understand gas units, base fee, priority fee, Gwei and why different actions cost different amounts.
Gas Prices Computation
Ethereum transaction cost is roughly gas units multiplied by the price per unit. A simple transfer uses fewer units, while swaps, NFT mints and complex DeFi contracts execute more computation and cost more.
The Two EIP-1559 Components
The base fee adjusts with congestion and is burned. The priority fee tips validators for inclusion. Wallets show a max fee ceiling; the actual charge is usually lower and unused headroom is not spent.
How to Pay Less
Run non-urgent actions off-peak, estimate with the gas calculator, choose a reasonable priority fee and confirm the network. Do not send to the wrong chain just to save fees, or repeatedly resubmit during congestion.
