But here’s the thing. In blockchains, nothing is actually free.

When a network advertises zero or near-zero fees, the cost doesn’t disappear. It shifts. Sometimes to validators. Sometimes to users. Often to decentralization itself.

Fees exist for a reason. They prevent spam, prioritize scarce block space, and align incentives between users and validators.

Remove them completely, and you invite abuse. Bots flood the network.

Validators must be subsidized. Control slowly concentrates among those who can afford to keep the system alive.

Some chains solve this by inflation. New tokens are constantly minted to pay validators. On the surface, users see “free” transactions.

In reality, their holdings are quietly diluted over time. You pay, just not at the moment you click send.

Others rely on centralized actors to sponsor fees. That works until it doesn’t.

When funding dries up or policies change, users discover that convenience came with hidden dependency.

This is why mature blockchains rarely race to zero fees. They aim for predictable fees. A small cost that reflects real demand and keeps the system honest.

What this really means is simple. If a network promises unlimited speed with no cost, ask where the pressure goes. Security, decentralization, or long-term sustainability usually takes the hit.

Crypto isn’t about eliminating trade-offs. It’s about choosing them consciously.

And the chains that survive are the ones that admit the price of trust instead of pretending it doesn’t exist.