Priority Fees and Miner Tips: How to Get Your Blockchain Transactions Confirmed Fast
Priority Fee Calculator
Calculate Transaction Costs
Transaction Details
Total Gas Used: -
Base Fee: -
Priority Fee: -
Total Fee (Gwei): -
Total Fee (ETH): -
Estimated Confirmation: -
Transaction Details
Transaction Size: -
Fee Rate: -
Total Fee (Satoshis): -
Total Fee (BTC): -
Estimated Confirmation: -
Ever sent a crypto transaction and waited hours-maybe days-for it to go through? You’re not alone. In 2025, with Ethereum and Bitcoin still handling millions of transactions daily, priority fees are the difference between your swap working in seconds or getting stuck in a digital back alley. This isn’t about paying more for no reason. It’s about understanding how miners and validators decide who gets processed first-and how to make sure you’re not the one left behind.
What Exactly Is a Priority Fee?
A priority fee, sometimes called a miner tip or validator tip, is the extra money you add to your transaction to say, "Hey, I really need this done now." It’s optional, but if you skip it during busy times, your transaction might sit there forever. Think of it like tipping a delivery driver to get your food faster during dinner rush. No one forces you to tip, but if you don’t, your order might arrive after everyone else’s. This system became official on Ethereum in August 2021 with EIP-1559. Before that, Ethereum used a first-price auction: everyone bid whatever they wanted, and the highest bidder got in. That led to wild spikes-during the CryptoKitties craze in 2017, people were paying over 500 Gwei just to send a simple transfer. Today, the system is cleaner. Ethereum now has a base fee that gets burned (destroyed), and a separate priority fee that goes straight to the validator. You control the tip. The network controls the base fee. Bitcoin works differently. It never had a base fee system. Miners still pick transactions based on satoshis per byte-the higher the fee rate, the faster your transaction climbs to the top of the queue. The old priority formula based on coin age and size? Gone. Today, if you don’t pay a fee, your transaction won’t even be considered.How Priority Fees Work on Ethereum
On Ethereum, your total fee has two parts: the base fee and the priority fee. The base fee changes every block depending on how busy the network is. If blocks are full, it goes up. If they’re empty, it drops. You don’t pay this to anyone-it’s burned. The priority fee? That’s your tip. It goes directly to the validator who includes your transaction in a block. Here’s how it breaks down:- Gas used: How much computational work your transaction needs. A simple ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas. A complex DeFi swap might use 200,000+.
- Gas price: The amount you’re willing to pay per unit of gas. This is now mostly set automatically by your wallet.
- Priority fee: The extra you add on top. This is what makes validators jump to your transaction.
How Priority Fees Work on Bitcoin
Bitcoin doesn’t have a base fee or burning mechanism. It’s simpler: miners look at one thing-satoshis per byte. The more satoshis you pay per byte of data, the faster your transaction gets picked. A standard Bitcoin transaction is about 250 bytes. If the network is quiet, you might get away with 5 satoshis/byte-that’s 1,250 satoshis total, or $0.05. But during a surge, like when Lightning Network traffic spikes or a big whale moves coins, fees can jump to 50-100 satoshis/byte. That’s $0.50 to $1.00 per transaction. Unlike Ethereum, you don’t set a separate tip. You just set one fee rate. Wallets like Electrum or BlueWallet show you estimates: “Low,” “Medium,” “Fast.” Choose “Fast,” and your wallet automatically sets a higher satoshi/byte rate to get you into the next few blocks. The shift away from the old priority system (based on coin age) was a big win for Bitcoin. Before 2016, you could send small transactions for free if they met certain conditions. That led to spam and bloated mempools. Now, every transaction pays. The network is cleaner, faster, and more reliable.
When Do You Need a High Priority Fee?
You don’t always need to pay extra. But here’s when you should:- During NFT mints: Thousands of people try to mint at the same second. Priority fees spike to 30-100 Gwei on Ethereum.
- DeFi swaps at peak hours: If you’re trading during US market open or when a major token launches, expect fees to jump.
- Time-sensitive transfers: Sending ETH to an exchange before a deadline? Don’t risk it. Set a 15-25 Gwei tip.
- Emergency transactions: If you’re recovering funds from a smart contract or unstaking locked tokens, you need speed.
How to Set the Right Priority Fee
Most wallets now auto-estimate fees. But they’re not always right. Here’s how to do it better:- Check real-time data: Use Etherscan’s Gas Tracker or Blocknative’s dashboard. Look at the “Fast” or “Priority” recommendation-not the average.
- Use MetaMask’s Advanced Gas Controls: Toggle on “Customize Gas” and manually set the priority fee. Start with 10 Gwei during normal times. Increase by 5 Gwei every 10 minutes if it’s stuck.
- Don’t overpay: Many users set 50 Gwei just to be safe. But in 2025, 90% of transactions confirm under 20 Gwei. You’re likely wasting 30-40 Gwei per transaction.
- Use gas bumping: If your transaction is pending, you can replace it with a higher fee. Wallets like MetaMask let you “speed up” or “cancel” with a higher tip. This costs more, but it’s better than waiting days.
What’s Changing in 2025?
The game is changing fast. Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade, rolled out in early 2024, introduced EIP-4844, which massively reduces data costs for Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum and Optimism. That means transactions on these chains now cost 10-100 times less. Priority fees on Layer 2s? Often under 1 Gwei. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s base fee has become more stable. The burning mechanism has removed over 3.5 million ETH since 2021-worth over $10 billion. That’s reduced overall supply pressure and made fee spikes less extreme. On Bitcoin, the Mempool-as-a-Service proposal is gaining traction. It could let users pay for guaranteed inclusion in the next block-kind of like a priority fee system, but baked into the protocol. That’s still experimental, but it shows even Bitcoin is moving toward more structured fee markets. The future? Multi-dimensional fee markets. Vitalik Buterin has talked about charging separately for computation, storage, and bandwidth. That’s still years away. But the trend is clear: fees are becoming more predictable, more granular, and more user-controlled.Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Mistake: Setting the same fee for every transaction. Solution: Adjust based on time of day and network activity.
- Mistake: Ignoring wallet settings. Solution: Turn on advanced gas controls and learn what each slider does.
- Mistake: Thinking “higher = faster.” Solution: 50 Gwei isn’t 5x faster than 10 Gwei. Often, it’s just 2x.
- Mistake: Not checking pending transactions. Solution: Use Etherscan or Blockchain.com to track your TX status. If it’s been 30 minutes, bump it.
Why This Matters Beyond the Fee
Priority fees aren’t just about speed. They’re a signal. High fees mean the network is congested. Low fees mean it’s calm. That’s why developers watch them closely. If fees stay high for days, it’s a sign the network needs scaling. If they drop, it’s a win. For users, understanding this system means you’re no longer at the mercy of random spikes. You’re in control. You can choose when to pay more and when to wait. You can avoid losing $5 on a failed swap. You can make smarter decisions-whether you’re sending $10 or $10,000. The blockchain economy runs on incentives. Miners and validators want to earn. Users want speed. Priority fees are the bridge between them. Learn how to use them, and you’ll never be stuck again.What’s the minimum priority fee I should set on Ethereum?
The absolute minimum is 2 Gwei, but that’s only enough during very low network activity. For reliable confirmation within 1-2 blocks, aim for 5-10 Gwei during normal times. During busy periods like NFT mints or DeFi launches, use 20-50 Gwei. Always check Etherscan’s Gas Tracker for real-time recommendations.
Do Bitcoin transactions have priority fees?
Bitcoin doesn’t use the term “priority fee,” but it has the same effect. Miners choose transactions based on satoshis per byte. The higher your fee rate, the faster your transaction gets confirmed. Wallets like Electrum or BlueWallet show “Low,” “Medium,” and “Fast” options-selecting “Fast” is your way of tipping miners.
Why does my transaction stay pending for hours?
Your priority fee was too low for current network demand. Ethereum transactions with fees below the median tip get stuck in the mempool. Check your transaction on Etherscan. If it’s been over 30 minutes, use your wallet’s “Speed Up” feature to replace it with a higher tip-usually 10-20% more.
Can I avoid paying high priority fees altogether?
Yes, but only if you’re not in a hurry. If you’re sending ETH to a friend on a weekend, 2-5 Gwei is fine-it might take 5-15 minutes. For anything time-sensitive, like swapping tokens or participating in a smart contract, you’ll need to pay more. Alternatively, use Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum or Polygon, where fees are 10-100x lower.
Is it better to pay a higher gas price or a higher priority fee?
On Ethereum, the priority fee is what actually gets miners to jump to your transaction. The gas price is tied to the base fee, which is set by the network and burned. You can’t change the base fee-you can only add a priority tip. So if you want faster confirmation, increase the priority fee, not the gas price. Most wallets now handle this automatically.
22 Comments
Mike Calwell
November 17 2025lol why do u even pay fees just use solana
Carol Wyss
November 18 2025This was so helpful! I used to just slam 50 Gwei on everything and feel guilty when it went through fast. Now I know I can chill with 5-10 Gwei on weekends 😊
Shanell Nelly
November 18 2025For beginners: if you’re using MetaMask, turn on "Advanced Gas Controls" and look at Etherscan’s gas tracker before you hit confirm. Seriously. It saves money and sanity. I used to lose $20+ on stuck txs before I learned this.
Sean Pollock
November 19 2025OMG I can’t believe people still use Ethereum for small transfers 😭 Like bro, it’s 2025. Use Arbitrum. Or Polygon. Or Solana. Or ANYTHING. Paying 20 Gwei to send $10 ETH? That’s not finance, that’s self-sabotage. 🤦♂️
Jay Davies
November 19 2025Actually, the claim that "90% of transactions confirm under 20 Gwei" is misleading. During peak congestion, median priority fees regularly exceed 30 Gwei. The average is skewed by off-peak hours. Always check real-time mempool data, not aggregate stats.
Grace Craig
November 19 2025One must acknowledge the elegant symmetry of EIP-1559’s burning mechanism - it transforms fee volatility into a deflationary force, thereby aligning economic incentives with long-term network health. Truly, a masterpiece of mechanism design.
Ryan Hansen
November 20 2025So I’ve been thinking - if the base fee gets burned, and the priority fee goes to the validator, doesn’t that mean the whole system is just a tax on users to fund validators? And if validators are just staked ETH holders, isn’t that just a fancy way of saying the rich get richer because they can afford to stake more? Like… it’s not really decentralized if the people who already have the most ETH get paid the most to process transactions? I feel like this whole thing is just a redistribution scheme disguised as innovation. Maybe I’m overthinking it. But also, maybe I’m not.
Derayne Stegall
November 21 2025YOOOOO JUST SET 15 GWEI AND YOU’RE GOOD 😎🔥 NO NEED TO OVERPAY. I DID A $500 SWAP AT 12 GWEI AND IT CONFIRMED IN 12 SECONDS. THE NETWORK ISN’T THAT BROKE LMAO 💪
Astor Digital
November 23 2025Been using Layer 2s for a year now and I swear I forgot what a 50 Gwei fee even looked like. Like, I used to panic when my tx was pending. Now I just sip coffee. The future is here, and it’s cheap.
Aayansh Singh
November 24 2025Most of you are clueless. You think 20 Gwei is "smart"? That’s what amateurs pay. Real traders use MEV bots and custom RPCs to front-run the mempool. You’re not saving money - you’re just getting sandwiched. If you don’t understand how the mempool works, you’re already losing.
Rebecca Amy
November 24 2025Why do wallets even show "fast" if it's always overpriced? I pick "fast" and pay 40 Gwei. Then I check Etherscan and see 15 Gwei transactions confirming. Why am I being tricked? 🤨
Darren Jones
November 26 2025Always check your pending transactions. I once left a 2 Gwei tx running for 14 hours… then I remembered I could speed it up. Did it at 18 Gwei. Confirmed in 3 minutes. Lesson learned: never ignore the "speed up" button. It’s not a trap - it’s your lifeline.
Kathleen Bauer
November 26 2025so i just set my gas to "low" and wait?? like… is that really okay?? 😅 i dont wanna lose money but also dont wanna pay extra for no reason…
Carol Rice
November 27 2025STOP BEING LAZY! If you don’t monitor fees, you deserve to wait 3 hours for a $10 transfer. This isn’t Amazon Prime - it’s blockchain. You think you’re saving money by not paying attention? You’re losing it in time, stress, and missed opportunities. Wake up.
Laura Lauwereins
November 28 2025Wow. So we’re now paying for speed like we’re ordering Uber Black. Next they’ll charge us for priority access to the blockchain’s VIP lounge. “Your transaction is confirmed, ma’am. Would you like to upgrade to Priority+ for 5 extra Gwei and a complimentary NFT?”
Gaurang Kulkarni
November 30 2025Bitcoin fees are still garbage. 100 sat/byte is nothing. Wait till next halving. Then watch the mempool turn into a war zone. Ethereum is already better. Stop defending Bitcoin like it’s 2017
Nidhi Gaur
December 1 2025bro i just use trust wallet and click fast and forget. why u all overthinking? its just crypto not rocket science
Usnish Guha
December 2 2025You people are delusional. You think paying 10 Gwei is smart? That’s the fee of someone who doesn’t understand market dynamics. Real users pay what the network demands. If you can’t afford the fee, you shouldn’t be on Ethereum. Simple as that. Stop whining about costs - earn more first.
satish gedam
December 2 2025Hey everyone - if you’re new, don’t stress! Start with 5 Gwei on weekends, check Etherscan before you send, and use Layer 2s for small stuff. You got this. I’ve been doing this since 2020 and I’m still learning. You’re not behind - you’re just getting started 💪
rahul saha
December 4 2025It’s funny how we treat blockchain like a utility when it’s really a philosophical experiment in decentralized trust. The fee market isn’t about speed - it’s about value signaling. Every Gwei you pay is a vote for the network’s legitimacy. So when you cheap out… are you voting against the future?
Student Teacher
December 5 2025Wait, so if I set my priority fee too low, it just sits there? Like… forever? What if I forget about it? Is there a way to cancel it? I’m so confused now 😅
Shanell Nelly
December 6 2025Yes! If it’s stuck, most wallets have a "Speed Up" or "Cancel" option. Just increase the fee by 10-20% and resubmit. It’ll replace the old one. I do this all the time - no need to panic. Just act, don’t wait.