What is gas?
Gas is the fee paid to a network to process a transaction. The amount changes with how busy the network is, and it's paid in the network's own coin — separate from the amount you send.
Why it exists
Networks have limited capacity. Gas fees prioritize and pay for the work of processing transactions, and rise when many people transact at once.
What surprises people
To move a token (like a stablecoin), you still need the network's native coin to pay gas. Holding only the token, with no native coin, can leave you unable to send it.
Gas explains why transfers cost what they do, why fees spike at busy times, and why you sometimes can't move a token you clearly own.
Gas is the postage on an envelope: it has nothing to do with the value of what's inside, but without it, nothing gets sent — and postage costs more during the holiday rush.
- No native coin for gas can block transfers.
- Fees can spike unexpectedly during congestion.
- Underpaying gas can leave a transaction stuck.
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Last reviewed 2026-06-25. This topic can change over time; always confirm current specifics from primary sources.