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Crypto gas fees

A gas fee is what you pay a blockchain to process your transaction. It is paid in the chain's own coin, ETH on Ethereum and on most layer 2s.

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Make a group cardNotes and money, in one link.

gas
The units of work a transaction uses.
gwei
A billionth of an ETH. Gas prices are quoted in it.
base fee
The going price per unit of gas, set by the chain.
priority fee
A tip to be included sooner.

How the fee is worked out

Fee = gas used × gas price. Sending ETH uses 21,000 gas. Sending a token such as USDC or USDG uses more, because a contract runs.

Who gets it

On Ethereum, the base fee is burned and the priority fee goes to the validator. That has been the rule since the London upgrade in August 2021.

Why layer 2s cost less

A layer 2 such as Base, Arbitrum or Robinhood Chain bundles many transactions and settles them on Ethereum together, so each one pays a small share.

What a payment cost on 14 November 2026

The newest plain transfer of each coin on the day, read from the chain, at ETH $1,926 on Chainlink's feed.

  • Sending USDG on Robinhood Chain: 43,478 gas at 0.02 gwei, 0.17 US cents. The transaction.
  • Sending USDC on Ethereum: 62,260 gas at 5.08 gwei, 61 US cents. The transaction.

Ways to pay less

  • Use a layer 2.
  • Send once rather than in pieces.
  • Skip the priority fee when nothing is urgent.

When a transaction fails

You still pay for the gas it used. Check the network and the address before you confirm.

Gas on a tbfcrypto card

Chipping in on a tbfcrypto card is 1% on top, never more than $25. Gas on Robinhood Chain adds a fraction of a cent.

The front of the card

For Ama · First onchain payment · 1 October

Collection pot5 people chipped in 120 USDG

  • Your first transaction, and it cost less than a penny.

    Kofi

  • Welcome onchain. Check the network every time. 🫡

    0xren

  • Proud of you for reading the docs first.

    Esi

Robinhood Chain

An example card. The names are made up.

Questions

What are gas fees in crypto?

What you pay a blockchain to process a transaction, in its own coin.

Why are Ethereum gas fees high?

When many people want space in the same block, the base fee rises.

What is gwei?

A billionth of an ETH, the unit gas prices are quoted in.

Do I pay gas if a transaction fails?

Yes, for the gas it used before it failed.

What coin pays gas on Robinhood Chain?

ETH.

On 1 October 2026 at 22:02 UTC we asked Robinhood Chain's public node to price a USDG payment: 35,898 gas at 0.036 gwei, about $0.0035 with ETH at $2,698.

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