Gas
Unit measuring the work needed to execute a blockchain transaction.
Beginner-friendly explanation
Gas is like fuel used to run blockchains such as Ethereum. Every action (sending, creating a smart contract) requires gas.
๐ Example:
Sending ETH costs a few units of gas to pay for the networkโs effort.
Intermediate-level insight
Gas is measured in units and paid in ETH. The cost depends on the operation's complexity and network congestion. A gas limit is often set to avoid overpaying a transaction.
๐ Example:
Deploying a complex smart contract may require 500,000 units of gas.
Advanced perspective
Gas is central to the economic model of programmable blockchains. It acts as an anti-spam mechanism and aligns incentives with consumed resources. Models like EIP-1559 (Ethereum) introduced a base fee + tip system to stabilize costs and improve user experience.
๐ Example:
With EIP-1559, part of the gas paid is burned (reducing ETH supply) while the rest compensates validators.
Blockchain & Technology
gas, gas units, transaction cost, gas limit, blockchain fees, EIP-1559, tip, burning, smart contract complexity, Ethereum