Why is the same transfer cheap on one network and expensive on another?

Because they make different trade-offs about space, speed and who gets to participate.

Every network has a limit on how much it processes per block, and fees are the auction for that limited space. Networks with small blocks relative to demand are expensive; networks with cheap, plentiful capacity are not.

The differences are not free. Cheap capacity generally means heavier hardware for the participants who run the network, which means fewer of them, which means a different trust profile. Expensive capacity often buys a longer track record and more independent participants.

Layer 2 networks take a third route: they batch many transactions and post a summary to a larger chain, so each user pays a share of one settlement rather than a full one.

The practical consequence is simple. If you move stablecoins regularly and have a choice of network, that choice matters more over a year than almost any other decision.

Fees and settlement by network is the comparison table.

Last checked 19 Oct 2026.