If you’re transferring USDT (Tether), your costs can vary a lot depending on the network you are using. The cost of transferring is also called a “gas fee”, which changes with each network: this extra cost is influenced by the technology used, the fee structure, traffic volume, and so on. Also, most networks are directly competing with each other, so they try to push their gas fees down. So, how much does it cost to transfer USDT? It depends on the network you use, costing $0.0006 on Solana, $0.01 on the BNB Smart Chain, $0.02 on Ethereum, and $3 on the Tron network. Let’s take a deep dive into stablecoins, the Tether projects, and the cost of transferring USDT on various networks.
The Cheapest Way To Transfer USDT
USDT can be found on dozens of blockchains, so it’s important to cut through the noise and see how much does it cost to transfer USDT. The cheapest way to transfer USDT is via the Solana network, which charges only $0.0006 per transaction. In comparison, sending USDT via Ethereum costs around $0.5, $0.01 via BNB smart chain, or approximately $3 via the Tron network.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all the different networks and their fees:
| Network | Token Standard | Fee in native token | Fee in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solana | SPL | 0.0000046 SOL | $0.0006 |
| Ethereum | ERC-20 | 0.00005 ETH | $0.5 |
| BNB smart chain | BEP-20 | 0.00002 BNB | $0.01 |
| Tron | TRC-20 | 13.11–27.24 TRX | $3–6.23 |
| Avalanche | ARC-20 | 0.00015 AVAX | $0.003 |
| Polygon | ERC-20 | 0.0001 MATIC | $0.005 |
| TON (Telegram) | TON | 0.01 TON | $0.0145 |
USDT TRC20 Transaction Fee: Everything You Need To Know
If you’re rolling with Tron as your network for trading tether, you’ll pay a hefty price tag compared to other blockchains. The USDT TRC20 transaction fee is approximately $3 when sending to an address that already has TRX and around $6.23 to an address without TRX. These fees were calculated based on the current TRX price of $0.23, meaning you pay about 13 TRX if the recipient address has TRX and 27 TRX if it doesn’t. So, how much does it cost to transfer USDT exactly? Of course, these prices can change, but at PlasBit we think Tron - apart from being the most popular network - is the priciest place for you to trade tether.
All Relevant Blockchains Supporting USDT
USDT is network-agnostic: it’s up to you where you want to transfer it. Each has a unique set of features and benefits, and now we’ve collected the most relevant ones to help you make a decision before transferring USDT.
Ethereum (ERC-20; token used for gas fee: ETH). Launched in November 2017, Ethereum was the first blockchain to support USDT after Bitcoin’s Omni Layer. It’s integral to the DeFi ecosystem, offers extensive dApp support, and high liquidity as a side dish. Fees are often higher than on other networks, but it is still one of the most popular blockchains for transferring USDT.
Tron (TRC-20; token used for gas fee: TRX). Kicked off in 2019, it has quickly become the other behemoth next to ETH when it comes to transferring USDT. It used to operate with super low fees, but that has changed: today, Tron is one of the pricier options if you want to transfer USDT.
BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20; token used for gas fee: BNB). Launched in September 2020 and developed by Binance, the BNB Smart Chain offers low fees and speedy transactions. Its compatibility with Ethereum’s tooling makes it an excellent choice for traders and developers alike.
Solana (SPL; token used for gas fee: SOL). Started in December 2020, Solana is slowly becoming a top choice due to its minuscule fees and speedy transactions. This is done with an innovative technology called Proof of History, which allows for faster transactions than on any other blockchain.
Solana transaction fee in USD during 2024
Avalanche (ARC-20; token used for gas fee: AVAX). Launched in 2021, Avalanche offers high throughput and low latency. It’s quickly gaining popularity in the DeFi space, providing an alternative to ETH.
Polygon (ERC-20; token used for gas fee: MATIC). This blockchain set off on its path in May 2021. As a Layer 2 scaling solution for ETH, Polygon reduces the cost and speed of transactions, which makes it a coveted blockchain for DeFi apps and NFT platforms.
TON (The Open Network; token used for gas fee: TON). Originally developed by the messaging app Telegram, TON allows for seamless peer-to-peer USDT transfers. Its LayerZero integration makes interoperability with other networks much easier, plus it also integrates with the messaging app itself.
Bitcoin (Omni Layer and Lightning Network; token used for gas fee: BTC). The Omni Layer was the first-ever blockchain to enable transferring USDT back in 2014, while the Lightning Network integration was announced in January 2025. This move aims to combine BTC’s security with faster, low-cost transactions. While still in its early days, our PlasBit experts agree that you should keep an eye on the Lightning Network, as it has huge upside potential.
Whichever blockchain you pick for transferring USDT, there’ll always be a gas fee that you need to pay in the network’s native token.
Gas Fees, Unpacked
The reason why transfer fees, also known as gas fees, are constantly changing is that there are multiple factors determining the price tag, which are also constantly changing. You’re paying computational effort to the network validator for performing any action on the blockchain - this can be sending tokens, interacting with a dApp, minting NFTs, swapping coins, and so on. Here are the key aspects that influence the gas fee:
- Network congestion. Blockchains have limited space per block, so when demand spikes, users bid higher fees to get their requests processed faster. This can typically happen during a bull run when suddenly transactions multiply and the network gets overloaded.
- Transaction complexity. A simple transfer requires a low gas fee, while a complex one entails higher prices. For instance, sending USDT is generally a low-cost action, but minting NFTs is pretty pricy.
- Native token volatility. Since you’re paying the gas fee in the network’s native token, it’s subject to price changes of the cryptocurrency. If the price of TRX triples, your gas price will triple the original. This means you’ll end up paying much more, even though the action you’re performing didn’t change.
- Gas limit. If your limit is too low, your transaction might fail; and if it’s too high, you risk overpaying if the app miscalculates something.
- Base fee + tip. Ethereum now uses EIP-1559, and as part of the new protocol, it has a base fee set by the network and a tip (i.e., priority fee) that goes to the validator/miner. If you want to get mined faster, you’ll need to tip higher.
- Block space congestion. Every block has a fixed price in gas units. If your transaction is big or the block is almost full, you’ll need to either cough up more or wait. This can result in delays or be super expensive in peak trading times.
Gwei & Its Use in Calculating the Gas Fee
On Ethereum, Gwei is just a smaller denomination of ETH. It’s like cents to dollars. Well, almost - the unit of measurement is a bit different, as 1 ETH equals 1 billion Gwei. To make things slightly more complicated, the smallest denomination of ETH is actually the Wei, named after Wei Dai, a cryptographer behind b-money, which was a herald of cryptocurrencies as a whole. And yeah, 1 ETH is actually worth one quintillion Wei, but nobody has the time or the cerebral capacity to process that amount of zeros. Gas prices are usually calculated in Gwei because you’re only paying a fraction of an ETH in most scenarios, and it’s much cleaner to say that your gas price is 20 Gwei instead of, say, 0.00000002 ETH. As for other blockchains, the smallest denomination varies, which is used to measure transaction fees for each network. Here are some of the most common networks, and their smallest denomination:
| Cryptocurrency | Smallest denomination | Smallest unit in a coin |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Satoshi (sat) | 100,000,000 |
| Solana | Lamport | 1,000,000,000 |
| Avalanche | nAVAX | 1,000,000,000 |
| BNB | Jager | 100,000,000 |
| TRON | Sun | 1,000,000 |
| TON | NanoTON | 1,000,000,000 |
USDT Transfer Fee
As discussed before, if you want to know how much does it cost to transfer USDT, you need to do your research, as the fees vary a lot. The USDT transfer fee changes based on the blockchain used, with Solana costing just $0.0006, BNB Smart Chain $0.01, Ethereum $0.5, and Tron anywhere between $3-6.23. The fee can vary a lot depending on different factors like gas units used, gas price, network congestion, or the blockchain’s native token’s volatility as well. As of today, Solana is one of your safest and cheapest bets, while the most popular networks, Ethereum and Tron, are now also amongst the most expensive ones.
Pegging, Stablecoins, And The Tether Project
The idea of keeping a currency stable by tying it to other assets is not new. This is called pegging. For centuries now, there have been at least two super common ways to peg a currency:
- Precious metals. Central banks have pegged their country’s national currencies to precious metals forever. The gold standard is a great example: countries like the USA used to tie a fixed amount of gold to the USD. Not long ago, many countries used a bimetallic standard, in which the currency was tied both to gold and to silver, and then switched to the gold standard. It all came to an end in 1971, when Nixon ended the gold-dollar convertibility. And why is this interesting? Since then, we’ve been living in a fiat currency world, where money has value because we believe in it, not because its value is tied to precious metals.
- Currency board. Places like Hong Kong take pegging to the next level: they tie their own national currency to the US dollar (1 HKD = 0.13 USD) or any other foreign currency. This requires a strict monetary approach: if you issue 1000 units of your local currency, you must have the same amount of foreign currency in reserve. In countries where trust in local currencies is low, hyperinflation is common, and central banks lack authority, currency boards offer stability at the expense of flexibility.
Currency pegs around the globe: most cases are tied either to the US dollar or euros
As you can see, in many cases, pegging happens because the asset is too volatile and its long-term stability can’t be maintained.
Stablecoins: Theory And Practice
Stablecoins are types of cryptocurrencies that stay stable by being pegged (tied) to a fiat currency like USD. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other big-name cryptocurrencies are wildly volatile - that’s what we love about them. Still, in the sea of uncertainty, we need some reassurance - and that’s precisely why stablecoins were created. There are three types of stablecoins:
- Fiat-backed. These stablecoins are pegged 1:1 to fiat currencies (usually the USD). USDT, USDC, the recently discontinued BUSD, or EURT (Tether’s EUR-pegged version) are examples of fiat-backed stablecoins.
- Crypto-backed. Yes, there are cryptocurrencies pegged to other cryptocurrencies. The idea is that fiat-backed crypto is exposed to central banks, regulators, and governments, which kind of goes against the idea of crypto in the first place. DAI, RAI, and LUSD are all examples of crypto-backed (to be specific, Ethereum-backed) stablecoins.
- Algorithmic stablecoins. This is where it gets nerdy (and somewhat fishy). These currencies’ value is maintained through an algorithmic mechanism. They try to do so by pegging usually to USD using code, math, and game theory. Some call them the wild west of cryptocurrencies, which should tell you everything. Examples include FRAX, DAI, and FEI. The key differences between algorithmic and “regular” stablecoins? Algorithmic crypto is less centralized, and you put your trust in code and incentives. Traditional stablecoins are more centralized and rely on external reserves, but algorithmic ones use mathematical formulas and protocols to adjust their supply and demand dynamics. While it may seem scary to put your trust in algorithms, relying on centralized companies might actually be worse.
Stablecoin is essentially for locking your crypto profits. Well, some use it for avoiding taxes, but let’s save that for another day. Let’s say you buy one (1) unit of cryptocurrency for $20,000, and as its price pumps to $35,000, you decide to lock your profit in fear of a dip. You sell your 1 unit for USDT, and now your $15,000 is secure even if your crypto asset’s value indeed dips.
The O.G. Stablecoin: Tether
Back in 2012, J. R. Willett published a whitepaper about the possibility of new cryptocurrencies on top of the Bitcoin blockchain. Willett put theory into practice: he created Mastercoin to promote this second layer on the BTC blockchain. Mastercoin’s protocol became the foundation of Tether: in 2014, Willett & Co. launched Realcoin, a dollar-pegged crypto token. It was soon renamed to Tether, and adoption between 2015 and 2017 finally started growing, with Bitfinex becoming the first cryptocurrency exchange to enable trading on their platform. In 2018, adoption exploded: the total worth of tethers grew from a couple of million dollars to $2.8 billion. At this point, tether amounted to around 80% of the total trading volume of BTC. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined Tether for maintaining full reserves only 27.6% of the time between 2016 and 2018. Despite concerns whether there was $1 for every tether in reserve at all times, in 2024, Tether’s 24-hour trading volume was often twice that of BTC’s and three times larger than ETH’s.
Today, if you want to lock your crypto gains in a tether token, you have 5 options:
- USDT (USD). The king of pegged cryptocurrencies. Its most active blockchains are TRON and ETH. Its TRC-20 (traded on the TRON network) variant is by far the most popular type of tether tokens.
- EURT (Euro). Tied to EUR and has a relatively low adoption rate. Mostly used on the ETH blockchain.
- CNHT (Yuan). This Yuan-pegged token is also rarely used and is limited to Asia. It’s mostly traded on the ETH blockchain as well and was launched to gain exposure in China.
- XAUT (Gold). Backed by gold stored in Swiss vaults and traded mostly on ETH, XAUT is excellent as an inflation hedge.
- MXNT (Peso). Similar to CNHT and EURT, it targets Latin-American users. Traded on ETH and pegged to the Mexican peso, and currently struggles to increase adoption.
USDT On Tron And Other Blockchains
As you can see, tether can live on multiple blockchains. In our case, you can trade USDT on blockchains like BNB Smart Chain, Arbitrum, Solana, Avalanche, Ethereum, and Tron. Out of these, the last two contribute to almost 90% of its supply (45.4% and 43.7% in late 2024, respectively). Although originally launched on BTC’s Omni layer, the o.g. USDT chain is rarely used nowadays. So, why did Tron become focal to USDT?
It took a while to gain traction, but stablecoin has exploded in recent years
The answer is simple: low fees. Founder Justin Sun has been very active in promoting Tron as the cheapest and fastest blockchain, and today, many centralized exchanges (Binance, Huobi, OKX, etc.) default to TRC-20 USDT. So watch the catch, if any? Critics say that Tron is too centralized as it has only a few validators, making it more prone to censorship compared to safer blockchains like Ethereum. Some of our experts at PlasBit also noted that Tron has become much more expensive than it used to be back in its heyday, making way for other alternatives like Solana to emerge.
Transferring USDT: Where, When, And Why
Transferring USDT isn’t like purchasing any cryptocurrency. It can be done on multiple blockchains, and while all charge you a gas fee, it’s only up to you to find out how much you need to pay exactly. Just make sure you follow the latest native token prices and stay on top of your game when researching networks and the various price tags they slap on different blockchain actions.
