Networks Explained: Sending the Same Token Five Ways
A practical comparison of the common networks for moving stablecoins, by cost, speed and who can actually receive on them.
Felix Oduya · ·2 min read
The same stablecoin travels on several networks, and the choice changes the cost by a factor of a hundred. Here is what each one is good for.
The original route
The oldest and most widely supported network charges the most and is accepted everywhere. Fees move with congestion and can go from cents to many dollars within an hour.
Use it when the recipient supports nothing else, or when the amount is large enough that a few dollars is irrelevant.
The high-throughput route
Very low fees, fast confirmation, broad support at exchanges. This has become the default for moving stablecoins between venues.
The trade is that support among self-custody wallets is narrower, and a recipient using an unusual wallet may not be able to accept it.
The layer-two routes
Networks built on top of a slower one, settling in batches. Fees sit between the two extremes and confirmation is quick.
Support at exchanges is improving but incomplete. Check before sending rather than after.
The newer chains
Fees near zero and fast finality. Support is the issue: several large venues accept deposits on some and not others, and the list changes.
The comparison that matters
| Consideration | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Cost | What does one transfer cost right now, not on average |
| Speed | How many confirmations before the recipient can use it |
| Support | Can the recipient receive on it, in writing |
| Reversibility | None, on all of them |
The third row overrides the rest.
Why your venue limits the choice
A venue supports the networks it has built and tested. A venue that lists the networks it supports publishes that list, and anything not on it is not an option regardless of what your wallet offers.
This is a reasonable constraint. Each additional network is real engineering and real operational risk.
How to decide, once
Pick the cheapest network that both sides definitely support, write it down beside the address, and stop reconsidering it per payment.
Exchanges that state which chain they settle on make that agreement durable. Changing it later is a two-message conversation; getting it wrong once is a lost transfer, which is why Collect & Exchange and most serious venues will not let you deposit on an unsupported chain at all.
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