Bitcoin and chains · 10 / 86
Accounts, gas, and blocks
A transaction asks the network to do work. Gas is what you pay for that work. A block is a batch of transactions that became part of the history.
What you pay
Gas is not a tip to the project you are using. It is the fee for the chain. When the chain is busy, the same click costs more. A failed transaction can still cost gas.
When it is final
Seeing a pending status is not the end. One confirmation is a start. More confirmations mean it is harder to rewrite. An exchange may wait longer than the chain does before it credits you.
Final on the chain is not the same as final in a company's account.
Check yourself
If a transaction fails, can it still cost you?
Yes. You can pay gas for a transaction that does not do what you hoped.
After this you can tell a gas fee from a project fee, and wait for finality before you treat a payment as done.