> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zen.land/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gas Fees

> Understanding Ethereum gas costs and the zero-gas NYKNYC option.

## What Are Gas Fees?

Gas fees are payments to Ethereum validators for processing your transactions:

* **Every action** on Ethereum costs gas
* **Gas prices fluctuate** based on network demand
* **You pay in ETH** (even for USDC transactions)

***

## Zenland Gas Costs

Typical gas costs for Zenland actions:

| Action        | Gas Used  | Cost @ 20 gwei | Cost @ 100 gwei |
| ------------- | --------- | -------------- | --------------- |
| Create Escrow | \~200,000 | \~\$1.50       | \~\$7.50        |
| Accept Escrow | \~100,000 | \~\$0.75       | \~\$3.75        |
| Release Funds | \~80,000  | \~\$0.60       | \~\$3.00        |
| Open Dispute  | \~60,000  | \~\$0.45       | \~\$2.25        |
| Agent Resolve | \~120,000 | \~\$0.90       | \~\$4.50        |

<Note>
  Costs vary with ETH price and network congestion. Check [etherscan.io/gastracker](https://etherscan.io/gastracker) for current prices.
</Note>

***

## Zero Gas with NYKNYC

<Card title="NYKNYC Wallet" icon="star">
  **Zenland sponsors all gas fees** when you use the NYKNYC smart wallet.
</Card>

### What's Free with NYKNYC?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Escrow Actions" icon="file-contract">
    Create, accept, release, refund — all free
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dispute Resolution" icon="gavel">
    Open disputes, invite agents — all free
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent Registration" icon="user-plus">
    Register as an agent — free
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent Actions" icon="scale-balanced">
    Resolve disputes as an agent — free
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### How It Works

NYKNYC uses **ERC-4337 Account Abstraction**:

```
Traditional Wallet:
You → Pay Gas → Transaction

NYKNYC:
You → Transaction → Zenland Pays Gas
```

1. You sign the transaction
2. Zenland's paymaster covers the gas
3. You pay nothing in ETH

***

## Using Standard Wallets

If you use MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, or other wallets:

### You'll Need ETH

Keep ETH in your wallet for gas. Recommended:

* **Small transactions:** 0.01 ETH (\$15-30)
* **Multiple transactions:** 0.05 ETH (\$80-150)
* **Active trading:** 0.1+ ETH

### Tips to Save on Gas

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Time your transactions" icon="clock">
    Gas is cheaper at night (US time) and on weekends. Avoid peak hours.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Set a gas limit" icon="slider">
    Most wallets let you set a max gas price. Be patient for off-peak execution.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Batch if possible" icon="layer-group">
    Using permit (EIP-2612) for tokens can save one transaction.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Gas vs Protocol Fees

Don't confuse gas fees with protocol fees:

| Type             | What It Is                     | Who Gets It          |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------- |
| **Gas Fee**      | Payment to Ethereum validators | Ethereum network     |
| **Protocol Fee** | 1% of escrow amount            | Zenland DAO Treasury |

Both are separate costs. Protocol fee is fixed (1%), gas varies with network.

***

## Which Wallet Should You Use?

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Choose NYKNYC If...">
    * You want zero gas costs
    * You're new to crypto
    * You don't have ETH
    * You want the simplest experience
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Choose Standard Wallets If...">
    * You already have a wallet with ETH
    * You prefer full self-custody
    * You want to use hardware wallets
    * You're comfortable with gas management
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

<Card title="Get Started with NYKNYC" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started/wallets">
  Setup takes 2 minutes →
</Card>