Transactions, Gas & Network Selection

A transaction is a signed instruction that moves an asset or asks a smart contract to perform an action.

A wallet prepares an instruction containing details such as the network, sending address, destination, amount, fee settings and, for a contract interaction, encoded data. Your wallet signs that instruction locally with the account's private key and broadcasts it to the selected network.

A broadcast transaction receives a transaction hash, often called a transaction ID or tx hash. It may wait in a transaction pool before a validator includes it in a block. Additional blocks and the network's finality process make the result increasingly settled.

A transfer, swap, approval and contract call are different actions even when the wallet uses the same Confirm button. Always read what the wallet says you are authorising.

The safest transaction is reviewed before it is signed, not investigated after it is sent.

Use a deliberate pause: verify the person or service, the correct network, the exact asset, the full destination address, the amount and the estimated fee. For an important new destination, a small test transfer can reduce risk, but the test must use the same network and asset as the main transfer.

Do not trust a pasted address simply because its first and last characters look familiar. Address-poisoning attacks place look-alike addresses in transaction history. Retrieve the destination from a trusted source and compare the complete address or use a previously verified address book entry.

A QR code reduces typing but does not prove the destination is honest. Read the decoded address and payment details before approving.

An address, token name or familiar logo is not enough to choose a transfer route safely.

The sender and recipient must support the same network and the same asset deployment. EVM-compatible networks may display the same address format while keeping separate balances and transaction histories.

When withdrawing from an exchange, the network selector determines where the exchange sends the asset. Confirm the receiving service's deposit network first. Some services also require a memo, tag or reference; omitting one can delay account credit even when the on-chain transfer succeeds.

Bridging is not the same as an ordinary transfer. A bridge locks, burns or routes an asset and delivers a related asset on another network. Use the bridge linked from the network project's official documentation, confirm whether the result is native or wrapped, and check the destination contract before signing.

For example, BNB Smart Chain and opBNB are separate networks even though both use BNB for gas. opBNB is designed for high speeds and ultra-low gas fees, but a token bridged there remains unusable if the wallet has no BNB on opBNB to pay the next fee. This gas-token catch-22 can affect any stablecoin, including USDT, USDC or GSDC as examples.

Gas pays the network for processing a state-changing action and is normally paid in that network's native asset.

On BNB Smart Chain and opBNB, BNB pays transaction fees, but the BNB balance must exist on the network where the action occurs. On Ethereum, ETH pays fees. Holding USDT, USDC, GSDC or another token does not automatically give SafePal the native asset needed to send that token.

A wallet estimates the required gas limit and gas price from the action and current conditions. The final fee depends on the network rules and the work actually performed. A smart-contract interaction usually needs more computation than a simple native-coin transfer.

Gasless or sponsored does not mean the blockchain performed free work. An application, relayer or other party may be paying the network fee or recovering the cost elsewhere.

Transaction status tells you what the network has done, not merely what a wallet screen hoped would happen.

Pending means the transaction was seen but has not yet been included in a block. Do not repeatedly resend the payment to the same recipient. First inspect the original hash and use only the wallet provider's documented speed-up or cancellation process if appropriate.

Success means the network executed and recorded the transaction. A service may wait for more confirmations or finality before crediting a deposit. Each service sets its own confirmation policy, so a short delay does not automatically mean funds are missing.

Failed or reverted means the intended state change did not complete. On EVM networks, the transferred value normally remains with the sender, but some gas may still be charged because validators performed work before the failure.

Receiving safely requires clear instructions because self-custody wallets and custodial services credit funds differently.

A self-custody wallet normally reflects the network state for addresses its user controls. A centralised exchange or payment service first receives funds into infrastructure it controls and then credits an internal customer account according to its supported asset, network and confirmation rules.

Give a sender the address from the receiving screen for the exact asset and network. If the service supplies a memo or tag, provide it exactly. Never send a private key, recovery phrase, OTP or login credential to help someone pay you.

For a large or unfamiliar transfer, confirm the sender's withdrawal limits, the recipient's minimum deposit, supported contract and current status through official channels.

A calm evidence-first response prevents one problem from becoming two.

Start with the correct network explorer and transaction hash. Record the status, from address, to address, asset contract, token amount, timestamp and fee. Check the recipient's official deposit instructions and current service status before contacting support.

If the address is wrong but the transaction is still pending, use only documented SafePal controls. If it is confirmed, contact the destination owner or receiving service through an official channel, but understand that recovery may be impossible. Never pay a stranger who promises recovery.

If you signed a suspicious approval or contract interaction, stop further transactions, preserve evidence and use a trusted approval checker. If a recovery phrase or private key was exposed, move remaining assets to a newly created wallet from a trusted device.