Gas fee

Paid to the network, not the exchange

Gas goes to validators who process the transaction, which is why no exchange can waive it and why it has nothing to do with trading fees. It is priced by demand for blockspace: when the network is busy, everyone bids more and the fee rises for everybody.

Failed transactions still cost

This surprises people the first time. Computation was performed and must be paid for even if the swap reverted on a slippage check. A sequence of failed attempts during congestion can cost real money and achieve nothing.

Network type	Typical cost	Practical floor for a trade
Congested layer 1	Dollars to tens of dollars	Hundreds of dollars
Layer 2 / alt L1	Cents	Tens of dollars

The right-hand column is the one nobody mentions. If gas is $8, a $50 swap gives up 16% before anything else. On-chain trading has a minimum economic size, and below it the maths simply does not work.

The network field is the most dangerous dropdown in crypto

Sending the right token on the wrong network is a common, usually unrecoverable mistake, and exchange support frequently cannot help. Check the network on both sides of every transfer. See withdrawal fees, which are set per network for the same reason.

What to do with this

• Batch transfers rather than moving small amounts repeatedly.
• Check current network conditions before swapping; waiting an hour is sometimes worth more than any fee tier.
• Treat gas as part of the trade cost when deciding whether a position is worth taking.