Gas fees are the costs associated with processing transactions or executing smart contracts on a blockchain. They are typically paid in the blockchain’s native currency, such as Ether on the Ethereum network.When a user initiates a transaction or runs a smart contract, they must specify a gas limit, which indicates the maximum amount of computational work they are willing to pay for. The actual gas used depends on the complexity of the task. Gas fees serve two main purposes. First, they compensate miners or validators for the computational power and resources they expend to process transactions. Second, they help prevent spam by making it costly to overload the network with meaningless transactions.Gas fees can fluctuate based on network demand; during peak times, fees can rise significantly. Users can often choose to pay higher fees for faster processing or lower fees for slower confirmation. Understanding gas fees is crucial for anyone looking to use blockchain technology effectively.