All terms
Bidding fees up sharply when many people compete for the same block space.
When a popular mint or liquidation opportunity appears, everyone raises their fee to get included first. Prices can spike many times over for a few minutes.
Losing a gas war can still cost you, because failed transactions on some chains still consume gas.
Waiting twenty minutes after a launch often costs a fraction of what transacting in the first block does.
That paying the top fee guarantees inclusion. It buys you a place in the queue against everyone else doing the same, and in a genuine gas war most of the paid fees belong to transactions that still failed. The winning move is usually not competing.
Common questions
What causes a gas war?
How do I avoid paying in one?
Where to go next
More technology terms
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