In brief

If you have used the Ethereum network, you may have experienced a transaction taking longer than usual to confirm. This happens due to the transaction processing priorities of miners – due to the fact that users who offer higher fees will always be given priority over users who pay low fees.

If your Ethereum transaction is stuck because of low gas fees, you will need to wait until the fees decrease and your transaction is processed by miners. However, you can fix this by replacing the pending transaction with a new transaction with a higher gas price. Sounds complicated? In fact, this is easier than you think. You can do this with ether (ETH) and all ERC20 tokens.

Introduce

First of all, remember that you cannot replace, reverse, or cancel confirmed transactions. However, during times of network congestion, some cryptocurrency transactions may get stuck. When trading volume is too high, your trade can sit in the processing queue for hours or even days.

Sometimes, blockages will go away on their own – due to pending transactions failing or due to reduced gas fees. While you can't literally cancel an Ethereum transaction, with a few taps you can speed up the process. In fact, you can replace the pending transaction with a new transaction with a higher fee.

In this guide, we will show you how to speed up transactions using MetaMask or Trust Wallet. You can also use other cryptocurrency wallets, as long as it supports the Ethereum blockchain, although the process may be slightly different.

Condition

• MetaMask or Trust Wallet installed.

• Have your private key (backup phrase) available to log into your Ethereum wallet.

• Connect to the Internet.

Why might Ethereum transactions get stuck?

Ethereum operates on a bidding system for transaction fees. Your fees will depend on the complexity of the transaction (i.e. the computing power consumption). In this context, there are three important terms you should know: gas cost, gas price, and gas limit.

Each computational task of a transaction is quoted by its gas cost. Meanwhile, the price paid for each unit of gas is called the gas price. In other words, the gas cost is the total cost to be paid, and the gas price is the price calculated based on the authenticator's "labor". Ultimately, the gas limit is the ceiling you can pay for a transaction.

While gas costs are determined by the complexity of your transaction, you are free to set your own gas prices and gas limits. The total fees you pay will be an incentive for miners. However, if your gas price is too low, and many others are willing to pay a higher fee, your transaction will fall into a pending state. If a transaction is stuck, Ethereum will not confirm any new transactions you make from the same wallet address, until the miner has confirmed the first transaction.

How to speed up trading on MetaMask

1. Log in to the MetaMask wallet that has your pending transactions. If it is an external wallet, you need to enter the address with the corresponding backup phrase or private key.

2. Find the pending transaction in the [Activity] tab and click [Speed ​​Up].

3. This process will allow you to replay your transaction. Make sure to use the higher gas price by clicking [Fast] then [Save].

4. If this step doesn't work, you can also go to the [Advanced] tab to set the gas price manually. You can check current gas prices and average confirmation times on Etherscan or EthGasStation.

How to replace a transaction on MetaMask

1. Log in to your MetaMask wallet that has pending transactions. If it is an external wallet, you need to enter the address using the corresponding backup phrase or private key.

2. Find pending transactions in the [Activity] tab. Click on it to check the details and note down the [Nonce].

Note: If you have multiple transactions pending, you need to start with the oldest transaction first (lowest nonce value).

3. Next, go to MetaMask [Settings] and click [Advanced].

4. Scroll down and enable [Customize transaction nonce].

5. Go back and click on your wallet address to copy it to the clipboard.

6. Click [Send] to create a new transaction and paste your wallet address in the [Add Recipient] field.

7. You need to send 0 ETH to your own wallet using the nonce of the pending transaction (note in step 2). Click [Confirm] when you have finished confirming.

Note: If your gas price is too low, this transaction may also be difficult. Make sure you set a reasonable gas price.

8. Please wait for the new transaction to be confirmed; After that, the pending transaction will be replaced.

Note: To avoid risks, make sure you have turned the [Customize transaction nonce] option back to OFF, after completing the above steps.

How to cancel transactions with Trust Wallet

1. Click on the pending transaction in your Trust Wallet app and look for the [Nonce] field. Record the number you see.

2. Create a new transaction and add your wallet address in the [Recipient Address] field. Make sure it is the same address as the pending transaction. Set [Amount ETH] to 0 and click [Next].

3. Tap settings in the top right corner.

4. Replace the [Nonce] field with the value you wrote down earlier. Make sure to set a competitive [Gas Price] so your transaction is hassle-free.

5. Wait for the new transaction to be confirmed; After that, the pending transaction will be replaced.

summary

Sending an Ethereum transaction and realizing you paid an unreasonable gas price can be very frustrating. But it gets worse when you realize you can't use your Ethereum wallet until your pending transaction is either converted to failed processing or confirmed.

Sometimes, stuck transactions are automatically cleared when network fees decrease. But unfortunately, this can take quite a while. Instead, you can cancel a stuck transaction by simply preceding it with a transfer of 0 tokens. Remember that you will need to pay the full gas fee to successfully complete the cancellation transaction.