Understanding Gas Fees

In the physical world, friction slows things down. In the digital blockchain world, "gas" is the fuel that powers motion. It's the essential incentive that keeps the network secure and decentralized.

The Price of Computation

Every action on a blockchain—sending tokens, swapping assets, or minting an NFT—requires computational power from validators. Gas fees are your payment to these validators for their service. Without this cost, networks would be overwhelmed by spam infinite loops.

Supply and Demand

Blockspace is a finite resource. When thousands of users try to transact simultaneously (like during a viral NFT launch), the cost to be included in the next block rises. It's a localized auction where the highest bidders get priority.

The Solana Advantage

Cost structures vary wildly between chains:

• Ethereum: Historically expensive, often ranging from $5 to over $50 during peaks.
• Solana: Designed for scale. Fees are consistently negligible, typically around $0.00025 per transaction.

This micro-fee structure unlocks use cases that were previously impossible, such as high-frequency trading and on-chain gaming.

No Surprises: Mute Wallet calculates and displays the maximum estimated fee before you sign any transaction.