A crypto transaction can carry up to three different costs, paid to three different parties, and rarely are all of them shown together.
The network fee
This one is paid directly to the network, not the platform: it rewards the nodes that confirm the transaction and include it in a block. Its size depends on how congested the network is at that moment, not on the amount transferred: you can pay the same network fee for 10 lei or 10,000 lei worth of crypto. On congested networks, the fee can spike sharply over a short window, then settle back to normal a few hours later.
The platform fee
This one is usually shown explicitly, as a percentage of the transaction or a fixed amount, and it stays with the platform, not the network. It’s the easiest to compare between providers, since it typically appears before the transaction is confirmed, as its own line item.
The spread
The spread is the difference between a platform’s buy price and sell price at the same moment, and it doesn’t show up as a separate cost line. We cover how it varies from platform to platform in the price-differences guide. It’s often the largest of the three costs, precisely because it isn’t explicitly labeled a “fee.”
The withdrawal fee
When you move crypto from a platform into a wallet of your own, the platform usually charges an extra withdrawal fee, separate from any trading fee. Part of it covers the network fee the platform pays to send the transaction, but some platforms add their own markup on top of the real network cost, so it’s worth comparing before withdrawing large amounts.
Why “no fee” doesn’t mean free
A platform that advertises “zero fees” usually only removes its own explicit fee, not the spread or the network fee. If the spread is wider than a competitor’s who shows a small fee, the “fee-free” trade can end up costing more overall. For example, an explicit 0.1% fee on a platform with a tight spread can cost less in total than a 0% fee on a platform with a wide spread. The only way to compare fairly is to look at the final amount received or paid, not just the “0% fee” label.
What to remember
- There are three possible costs: the network fee (to the network, varies with congestion), the platform fee (explicit), and the spread (implicit, baked into the price).
- The network fee doesn’t depend on the amount transferred, only on how congested the network is at that moment.
- “No fee” usually only removes the explicit fee; the spread can remain, and it can cost more than a small, clearly shown fee.