Overview:
Transaction fees are an essential factor in all blockchain activities – from transferring coins, swapping, minting NFTs to staking. However, the fee calculation mechanisms vary completely between networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or Layer 2.
⚙️ Main types of fees you need to know:
1. Network Fee (Gas Fee)
• Used to pay miners (PoW) or validators (PoS) to validate transactions.
• Ethereum charges fees based on the formula: Gas Used x Gas Price.
• High fees when the network is congested, for example: ETH can sometimes exceed 100 USD/transaction.
2. Trading Fee (Exchange trading fees)
• Calculated as a % of the transaction value.
• Binance, OKX: ~0.1% for spot, higher for margin or futures.
• Some DEX exchanges like Uniswap charge an additional liquidity provider fee (0.3%).
3. Withdrawal Fee (Coin withdrawal fee)
• Determined by the exchange, depending on the type of token.
• Example: Withdrawing BTC from Binance may cost ~0.0002 BTC (~12 USD).
💡 How to optimize transaction fees:
• Choose the right blockchain: Solana, Base, Arbitrum have very low fees (~0.001 USD).
• Off-peak trading: Avoid peak hours (US morning, Asia evening).
• Use Layer 2: Transactions on Arbitrum and Optimism help reduce native ETH fees.
⚠️ Warning:
• Hidden fees: Some DeFi wallets or intermediary apps have 'hidden' fees in the swap rate.
• Fake dApp: Scammers can create fake wallets to trick you into signing transactions with unreasonable fees. Always carefully check the receiving wallet and displayed fees before confirming.
📌 Conclusion:
Understanding Crypto Fees not only helps save costs but also avoids security risks. In the fiercely competitive market today, the smart person is not the one who trades a lot, but the one who pays less in fees to earn more.