A transaction fee (network fee or miner/validator fee) is the amount of cryptocurrency paid to miners or validators for including a transaction in a block. Transaction fees serve two functions: compensating network security providers for their resources, and creating a prioritisation mechanism for periods of congestion.
HOW FEES WORK ON BITCOIN
Bitcoin fees are set by the sender, measured in satoshis per virtual byte (sat/vByte). Miners prioritise highest-fee transactions — you bid for block space. During high demand (bull markets, Ordinals events), fees spike dramatically. In December 2023 Ordinals congestion, fees exceeded 500 sat/vByte and average transactions cost $30-50. Use SegWit or Taproot addresses, which reduce transaction size and therefore fees.
HOW FEES WORK ON ETHEREUM (POST EIP-1559)
Since August 2021, Ethereum uses a two-component model: Base Fee: Set algorithmically based on block fullness. Increases when >50% full, decreases when <50% full. The base fee is burned rather than paid to validators — removing ETH from supply. Priority Fee (Tip): Optional additional fee paid to validators for prioritisation. Total fee = Gas Used × (Base Fee + Priority Fee).
LAYER 2 FEES
L2 networks dramatically reduce costs by batching thousands of transactions to Ethereum. Arbitrum: $0.05-0.30 typical. Optimism/Base: Similar range. zkSync Era, Starknet: $0.01-0.10. Solana base fee: ~$0.00025 plus priority fees during congestion.
MINIMISING FEES
Use Etherscan Gas Tracker or Blocknative to monitor real-time gas prices. Transact during low-demand periods — Ethereum is cheaper on weekends and late night UTC. Use L2 networks for DeFi activity. Use native SegWit (bc1) addresses for Bitcoin. For DeFi, use DEX aggregators with gas optimisation built in.
A blockchain is a subset of a distributed database. The Bitcoin inventors originally prototyped the system in 2008. This modern database is made up of separate blocks that are connected together in a chronological chain. Blockchains may be used to store a wide range of data types. It has mostly been utilized as a public ledger for bitcoin transactions to date. A peer-to-peer network comprised of independent nodes uses a consensus process to ensure the blockchain's security and legitimacy. Each node in the network keeps a public and immutable copy of the data.
2 Factor Authentication is a security measure with two layers. It is used by the majority of cryptocurrency exchanges. To log in, you must provide not only a password, but also a code obtained, for example, from the Google authenticator.
An airdrop is a method of distributing coins. End users can typically obtain coins for free or in exchange for doing a small task, such as subscribing to a newsletter, sending a tweet, or inviting others via a personal affiliate link. Cryptocurrency airdrops — the act of depositing cryptocurrency into public crypto wallets — are utilized as a marketing, liquidity creation, and network bootstrapping technique for many different types of blockchain initiatives.
Altcoin - "alternative coin" - is any kind of digital currency other than Bitcoin. Since the launch of Bitcoin, the world's first digital currency, many altcoins (as well as supporting blockchains) have been created. Altcoin digital currencies share many similarities to Bitcoin, but consistently and have significant differences. There are about 20,000 altcoins, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Altcoins often develop Bitcoin features. Ethereum, currently the most widely used blockchain, supports digital contracts and separate applications where Bitcoin does not. Altcoins are also often created to cater to the needs of different users. The Litecoin blockchain, for example, can process payments quarterly for the duration of Bitcoin.
Cold storage is the way to store cryptocurrency offline. The word refers to the use of offline wallets that are not connected to the internet. Cold storage is the most secure way to keep cryptocurrencies since an offline currency becomes less likely to be hacked and stolen. Paper wallets, printed renditions of private keys, and offline hardware and software wallets are all examples of cold storage.
