Gas Fees

Gas fees are charges you pay to process transactions on a blockchain—the digital ledger that records cryptocurrency trades. Think of it like a transaction fee at your bank, except it goes to the network of computers that verify and record your trade instead of a bank. You encounter gas fees whenever you buy, sell, or transfer crypto assets. They matter because they can eat into your profits on small trades, and they fluctuate based on network demand—when everyone's trading, fees spike. For example, if Sarah buys $100 worth of Ethereum, she might pay $5-$20 in gas fees depending on how busy the network is at that moment.