Network Fee Reference: What Each Chain Charges For

Entry last verified September 2026.

The fee models

Model	Charged for	Example behaviour
Computation metered	Units of work, priced by demand	Ethereum and EVM chains
Transaction size	Bytes occupied in a block	Bitcoin
Fixed or near-fixed	A set amount per operation	Several high-throughput chains
Resource-specific	Separate pricing for compute, storage and bandwidth	Some newer designs

Why the model determines the behaviour

Computation metered. A complex operation costs more than a simple one, and the price per unit floats with demand. This is why a swap costs several times a transfer on the same chain at the same moment.

Size based. A transaction with many inputs costs more than one with few, regardless of value. This is why consolidating small deposits during quiet periods saves money later.

Fixed. Predictable, and it does not price scarcity. Chains using this model rely on capacity exceeding demand, which holds until it does not.

Resource specific. Storage priced separately from computation, which addresses the state growth problem more directly than a single metered price.

What is common to all of them

The value transferred is not an input. Fees pay for resources consumed, not for the amount moved. This is true on every chain and is the most persistent misunderstanding.

Failed operations still cost. Work performed is work charged.

Fees are paid in the chain’s native asset. Holding a token on a chain without holding some of its native asset means being unable to move the token. This is the single most common cause of funds appearing stuck.

Where the fee goes

Chain	Destination
Bitcoin	Entirely to the miner
Ethereum	Base fee burned, priority fee to validator
Various proof-of-stake chains	Split between validators, treasury and burning, per protocol

The Ethereum arrangement means a portion of every fee permanently reduces supply, which is a monetary effect frequently conflated with the fee mechanism itself.

Practical consequences

Keep native asset in every wallet you use. A small amount, in every chain where you hold tokens.

Batch where the model rewards it. Size-based models reward consolidation; metered models reward combining operations.

Check the model before assuming. A chain that is cheap for transfers can be expensive for contract interaction, and comparisons that measure only transfers mislead anyone who mostly does something else.

Withdrawal fees versus network fees

A venue’s withdrawal charge and the underlying network fee are different numbers. Some platforms pass through the network cost, some charge a fixed amount with a margin.

The difference is visible by comparing the charge against the current network fee on an explorer. Platforms that separate the two in their published schedule, including exchanges quoting a direct fiat pair, make the comparison straightforward rather than requiring the arithmetic.