What is a gas fee?

A gas fee is a fee that is charged for each transaction on the Ethereum blockchain. Gas fees are paid in Ether, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network.

Every time a user sends a transaction on a Proof-of-Work network, they must include a gas fee to incentivise the miners who process the transaction and add it to the blockchain. The amount of the gas fee depends on the complexity of the transaction and the current demand for network resources.

On Proof-of-Stake blockchains, such as Ethereum, the users who validate transactions and earn gas fees are called "validators" instead of "miners." These validators are chosen based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold in the network, which is known as their "stake." The more cryptocurrency a user holds in their stake, the greater their chances of being selected as a validator and earning transaction fees.

The purpose of the gas fee is to prevent users from overloading the network with unnecessary or spam transactions. By charging a fee for each transaction, the network can prioritise the most important transactions and ensure that the network remains stable and secure.

The amount of the gas fee on the Ethereum blockchain depends on the complexity of the transaction and the current demand for network resources. Gas fees are an important part of the Ethereum ecosystem and are essential for the smooth functioning of the network.