Library · Crypto, word by word · Transactions and fees
What does insufficient funds for gas mean?
The error means the account does not hold enough of the network's own coin to pay the fee for the transaction, plus any amount being sent. On Ethereum fees are paid only in ETH, so a wallet holding tokens but no ETH cannot move them.
What it means for you
Holding USDC or another token is not enough: you also need a little of the network's coin, ETH on Ethereum and most Ethereum layer 2s, to pay the gas. Sending some to the same address from an exchange or another wallet fixes it. Anyone offering to pay the fee for you if you share your seed phrase is a scammer.
How it works
Before a transaction is accepted, the network checks that the account can cover the most it could cost: the gas limit times the fee per unit of gas, plus the value sent. If not, it is refused before it runs and costs nothing. Each network charges in its own coin: ETH on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism and Base, POL on Polygon, BNB on BNB Chain, SOL on Solana. Since the Pectra upgrade a wallet that supports EIP-7702 can let another party pay the fee.
Sources: ethereum.org: Gas and fees, ethereum.org: Transactions, ethereum.org: Pectra · checked 5 October 2026
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