#CryptoFees101 A $500,000 Mistake You Canโt Ignore ๐ณ
Imagine sending a crypto transaction and accidentally paying $500,000 in fees. Sounds insane, right? But it actually happened in September 2023. One user ended up burning over 300 ETHโjust to move some funds.
This wasnโt a scam. It was a simple mistake. One wrong number. One small slip. And poof โ half a million dollars, gone.
So What Are These โFeesโ? ๐ค
Every time you make a transaction on a blockchain (like Ethereum), you pay a fee โ also called โgas.โ
Hereโs why they exist:
๐ฅ They reward validators/miners for confirming your transaction
๐ก๏ธ They protect the network from spam and overload
Why It Matters to YOU ๐ก
Fees change depending on how busy the network is.
๐ High traffic? Higher fees.
๐ Slow day? Lower fees.
If you set your fee too low, your transaction could get stuck.
If you set it too high, wellโฆ you already know. ๐ธ
Most wallets auto-suggest a fee, but that doesn't mean you skip checking. That 2-second double-check? It can save you thousands.
This one user was lucky โ the mining pool returned the funds.
But you might not get a second chance.
Lesson: Always check the fee. Always. โ