Crypto swap fees explained

A crypto swap has up to five costs: the network fee, the protocol or liquidity fee, slippage, the wallet's service fee and, on some routes, a spread built into the rate. The simplest way to compare offers is to ignore the labels and look at one number: how much you receive.

The five costs

Network fee

Every blockchain charges for including a transaction. On Bitcoin the fee goes to miners, and on Ethereum it is called gas. A cross-chain swap involves at least two transactions: yours on the source chain and the payout on the destination chain. You pay the first one directly. The second is normally deducted from the amount you receive, as an outbound fee.

Protocol or liquidity fee

Decentralized swaps use liquidity that other people provide, and those providers are paid through a fee on each trade. On pool-based protocols the cost also includes price impact: a swap that is large relative to the pool moves the price against you. A small swap in a deep pool pays very little. A large swap in a shallow pool pays a lot.

Slippage

A quote is a snapshot. By the time your transaction confirms, the price may have moved. Slippage is that difference. Wallets let you set a tolerance, which becomes a minimum amount you accept. If the swap cannot meet the minimum, it fails or is refunded instead of executing at a bad price.

Wallet service fee

The wallet that finds the route and builds the transaction usually charges a percentage of the swap. This is the fee wallets advertise, and it differs a lot between apps.

Spread

Some routes, such as centralized exchanges and market makers, quote a single rate with no separate fee line. They are paid through the spread: the rate is slightly worse than the true market rate. A "zero fee" swap with a wide spread can cost more than a swap with a visible fee.

How to read a quote

1. Find the amount you receive. It is what remains after all fees, and it is the only number that makes two quotes comparable.
2. Find the minimum received. This is the worst case you have agreed to. If it is far below the quoted amount, your slippage tolerance is wide.
3. Check the fee lines: network, protocol, wallet. If a quote shows none, the cost is in the rate.
4. Compare the rate with the market price from a neutral source. The gap, in percent, is your total cost.
5. Look at the estimated time. A better price that takes longer is a valid choice, but it should be your choice.

How to pay less

• Compare routes on the amount received. The cheapest route changes with the pair and the size.
• Avoid very small cross-chain swaps. Network fees do not shrink with the amount, so they weigh heavily on small swaps.
• Wait out congestion if you can. Network fees rise when a chain is busy.
• Split large swaps. A streaming route divides a large swap into smaller parts over time, which gets a better price but takes longer.
• Use a limit order when you are not in a hurry. You set the price and wait for the market to reach it.
• Set a sensible slippage tolerance. Too wide and you accept a bad price. Too tight and the swap fails while you still pay network fees.
• Check whether your wallet has fee tiers or volume discounts.

Paying less is not the only goal. The cheapest route is a poor choice if it hands you a wrapped token you did not want. Cross-chain swaps explained covers those differences.

A low headline fee says nothing about the total cost. Always compare the amount you receive.

THORWallet's fees

THORWallet compares several swap routes on every swap and shows them, so you can see what each route delivers. You can try this on the swap page. THORWallet's own fee depends on the swap size and your tier.

• Swaps under $100: free.
• Standard: 1.25%.
• Community: 0.5%, with 10,000 $TITN staked.
• Community Plus: 0.2%, with 100,000 $TITN staked.

Larger swaps get automatic volume discounts. Network fees are separate. Limit orders are available, also across chains. The current price list is on the fees page.

Staking $TITN sets your Community Tier, which lowers the swap fee. The $TITN page has the details. $TITN is a utility token, not an investment; its value may fluctuate and could fall to zero.

This guide does not recommend buying or staking any token.

A simple example

Say two routes quote the same pair. Route A shows no fee and pays out 0.98 of a coin. Route B shows a 1% fee and pays out 0.985 of a coin. Route B is cheaper, even though it is the only one that shows a fee. The label does not matter. The payout does.

Before you sign, check two more things: that you receive the asset you wanted on the network you wanted, and that the minimum received is a number you accept.

How to do it in THORWallet

Step-by-step articles from the help center, checked against the current app.

• Swap fees and how to lower themWhich fees a swap has, what the THORWallet fee is for each Community Tier and swap size, and how to pay less.
• Slippage and price impactWhat slippage tolerance, actual slippage and price impact mean, how to change the tolerance in the app and what happens when the price moves too far.
• Streaming swapsWhat a streaming swap is, how the app shows it, how long it can take and when it is the right choice.
• Limit ordersHow to place a limit order in the THORWallet app, which coins it supports, how long it stays open and how to cancel it.
• Community TiersThe three $TITN Community Tiers, how much staked $TITN each one needs, the swap fee on each tier and the other benefits.

Sources

1. bitcoin.org: FAQ on transaction fees
2. ethereum.org developer docs: gas and fees
3. THORChain developer docs: the fees of a swap
4. Chainflip docs: swapping basics, slippage protection and refunds
5. NEAR docs: NEAR Intents overview

Reviewed on 12 Nov 2026. Statements about THORWallet were checked against the help center, and the sources above were opened on that day. This guide explains how things work. It is not financial advice.