# Gas

> The unit a blockchain uses to measure how much work a transaction takes.

Canonical URL: https://fudfomo.co/glossary/gas
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

Gas is the way blockchains like Ethereum measure computational effort. A simple transfer uses a small amount of gas, while a complex DeFi swap uses more.

You pay for that gas in the network's own coin. The total fee depends on how much gas the action needs and how busy the network is at the time.

## Related terms

- [Gas Fee](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/gas-fee): The cost of getting your transaction included on the blockchain. Goes to the people who run the network.
- [Ethereum](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/ethereum): A blockchain that lets developers build apps and issue tokens. Often called a programmable money platform.
- [Smart Contract](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/smart-contract): A program that runs on a blockchain and does what it says, automatically.

## See the full catalogue

What The Block! covers more than 2,000 plain-English crypto terms, delivered as embeddable hover-state tooltips for crypto exchanges. https://wtb.fudfomo.co