Lots of users, especially those new to crypto, are actually afraid of stepping out of the CEX comfort zone to the wild lands of decentralized finance, particularly because of the gas fees.
Gas scares us for several reasons: one has to pay it, sometimes it’s high, sometimes it’s very high, and it’s paid for any action on blockchain connected to moving assets between wallets or contracts.
But what if we told you that there are ways not to pay gas and actually enjoy crypto transactions? And what’s more, this option is already available in the NonBank app!
In this article, we’ll explore what gasless transactions are, how they work, their benefits, the challenges they bring, and where the future might lead. Grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s break it down together.
Gasless transactions refer to the process where users can perform blockchain transactions without paying gas fees.
This may look like a total innovation, but, in fact, it’s the oldest trick in the book — if you don’t pay the fees, somebody else pays them. Blockchain has no exceptions.
So, protocols and relayer solutions take care of the fees, making transfers and smart contract interactions feel almost cost-free. Think of it as blockchain innovation, DeFi development, or just marketing.
The result? Cost-free transactions that lower barriers to entry and enhance user experience.
Gasless transactions work through a combination of meta transactions and relayer solutions. Here’s a simplified breakdown:
What could be the downsides of free transactions? Actually, there are none — gasless transactions bring a range of benefits to the users, and especially to DeFi ecosystems, making them more efficient, accessible, and user-centric.
Let’s explore some of the advantages:
With gasless transactions, users no longer need to worry about gas fees nibbling away at their assets, even on small or frequent trades. While it might only save you about $0.30 on a tiny scale, over time, these savings add up — sometimes reaching tens or even hundreds of dollars in fees saved.
Gasless applications offer a much smoother onboarding experience — users don’t have to worry about understanding or managing gas fees, and they can start using the app without spending a penny. This simplicity makes DeFi platforms more accessible and turns blockchain interactions into a far more inviting experience.
NonBank Onboarding
Gasless transactions are typically implemented on Layer 2 protocols that boost scalability. By batching transactions, processing becomes much cheaper and faster than on Layer 1, and lower gas prices make it more cost-effective to cover fees from users’ transactions.
Recently, gasless transactions have also become a clever tool for new chains to attract users. Some L2 solutions offer a subscription-based model for projects and smart contract developers, who pay a fixed fee to provide fee-free transactions to users.
Imagine you’re choosing between two apps with the same feature — one charges gas fees, and the other has zero-fee transactions. The choice is obvious: a gasless platform will stand out from the competition.
Yet, even so attractive things such as gas-free transactions have their downsides.
Gasless transaction flows rely on relayer solutions and meta-transactions, which expand the potential attack surface and add additional layers of complexity. For example, if a relayer service is compromised, it could affect the integrity of the entire transaction process. Still, no system is hack-proof, and the gas-free services, like any others, must constantly update and conduct safety audits to keep up with the security demands.
If these transactions are so great, why don’t all wallets, exchanges, or apps offer them? Someone else has to cover the cost since the user isn’t paying the fees. Various models exist — subsidies from platform revenue, B2B offerings, subscription-based models, or even freemium structures.
Projects are striving to offer as many gas-free transactions for users as possible yet staying profitable, but it’s more like solving blockchain trilemma – almost impossible.
DeFi platforms are experimenting with different models to deliver fee-free blockchain interactions to users. Let’s compare their different approaches:
At NonBank, we simplify zero-fee transactions by offering users up to seven NonFees monthly. By default, there are three NonFees available, but it’s easy to level up one’s NonID and get the limit up to seven. Currently, users can enjoy gas-free operations on Tron, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, and Base with zero hidden fees.
NonFees at NonBank
LightLink: A B2B-Focused Layer 2
LightLink introduces a gasless model focused on enterprises and dApps, that brings the responsibility of gas fees from users to businesses. Instead of requiring users to hold native tokens for transactions, LightLink operates an Enterprise Mode, where crypto projects prepay gas fees using stablecoins. These prepaid stablecoins are later converted into native tokens to finalize transactions.
LOGX takes another approach: they combine the efficiency of centralized exchanges, but make it transparent thanks to the DeFi approach. The LOGX DeFi superapp provides CEX-like trading without requiring users to pay network fees. There is only one condition: Users must buy and stake the native token to receive rebates on their network fees later.
Gasless transactions change the way we DeFi. It makes blockchain interactions smoother, cheaper, and more accessible for newbies. There are still challenges like security and sustainability, but there are benefits too — lower costs, easier onboarding, and better scalability, which are driving this niche.
And if paying gas is not your kind of thing, you can always experience what the world would be like without it — just download NonBank and import or create your wallet to try for yourself!
🍏 iOS — https://apps.apple.com/app/id6477441479
🤖 Android — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.nonbank
