Optimism fees explained
Optimism transactions cost a few cents. Here is why an L2 is so cheap, what the L1 data fee is, and how to get the small amount of ETH you need.
Why Optimism fees are low
Optimism executes transactions off Ethereum mainnet and posts compressed data back to it. You pay a tiny L2 execution fee plus a small L1 data fee. Since the blob upgrade, that L1 cost dropped sharply — total fees are usually just a cent or two.
What you pay fees in
All Optimism gas is paid in ETH (not OP). You only need a small amount — a fraction of an ETH covers deploying a token plus many transfers.
How to get ETH on Optimism
- Withdraw ETH from an exchange and choose the Optimism network.
- Or bridge from Ethereum — see how to bridge to Optimism.
- Set your wallet to Optimism — see add Optimism to MetaMask.
Fees when creating a token
Launching a token on Optimism costs the small L2 gas plus any service fee — far cheaper than Ethereum mainnet. Try the Optimism token creator or estimate with our cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Optimism gas fees?
Usually a cent or two — even deploying a token typically costs well under a dollar.
What coin pays Optimism fees?
ETH. Keep a small amount on the Optimism network.
Why is Optimism cheaper than Ethereum?
It is a layer-2 that batches transactions and posts compressed data to Ethereum, so per-transaction cost is far lower.
Ready to create your own token?
Launch a token on BNB Chain, Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Solana, Polygon, Optimism, Linea, Avalanche, Scroll, Sui, TON, Berachain, HyperEVM, Sonic, Unichain, World Chain, Soneium, Mantle or Cronos — no code, in minutes.
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