A new proposal from HOT Protocol, a decentralized group operating on the NEAR Protocol, has called for a significant reduction in the AI crypto project‘s token inflation rate.

On June 24, the decentralized organization submitted a plan to slash NEAR’s annual inflation rate from 5% to 2.5%. The proposal aims to enhance the long-term sustainability of the crypto project’s token and realign incentives across the network.

According to the proposal, the current 5% inflation rate has become a liability, harming NEAR’s competitiveness by “causing unnecessary token supply growth and dilution.”

HOT protocol explained that NEAR’s inflation rate was designed with the assumption that fee burns from high transaction volumes would offset much of the supply growth. In practice, however, only 0.1% of the token supply was burned over the past year.

As a result, the full inflation rate continues to inflate the circulating supply by over 60 million NEAR annually, outpacing actual network growth and user activity.

To counter this, the new proposal suggests reducing the staking yield from 9% to 4.5%, which could make NEAR-based DeFi offerings more competitive.

While this might lead some validators to exit, it also opens space for new demand-generating features, including transaction fee revenue from Intent-based models.

The DAO highlighted the importance of its proposal, stating:

“Reducing NEAR’s inflation is an urgent priority. Every additional month of the status quo means millions of new NEAR entering circulation, which is not only dilutive but also unnecessary given the low fee burn. High inflation without high usage is unsustainable.”

Community support

The proposal has drawn strong backing from the NEAR ecosystem, with many industry players expressing support.

Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol, endorsed the plan, saying it better positions NEAR as a potential store of value in emerging AI-focused environments.

He also highlighted the need to reduce the reliance on staking as the primary source of yield, a dynamic that has limited DeFi innovation on NEAR so far.

Avichal Garg, the co-founder of Electric Capital, echoed similar views, while adding:

“[I am a] big fan of this for the NEAR ecosystem. The future of crypto [is] lower emissions, fee switches to drive revenue to tokenholders, and [rewarding] long-term holders via more revenue.”

Meanwhile, the proposal is currently undergoing a validator vote and requires a two-thirds majority to pass. As of press time, 13.36% of the required 66.67% threshold has been secured.

If approved, implementation is expected by Q3 2025, pending a smooth technical rollout and final community validation.

Minting NFTs on Ethereum has become synonymous with creativity—and high costs. As the network’s popularity has surged, so have its gas fees, sometimes making it prohibitively expensive for independent artists, small studios, or developers testing new projects. But that’s changing.

Thanks to the evolution of Layer 2 solutions, smarter smart contract standards, and growing platform support for gas-saving features, creators in 2025 now have a toolkit to reduce Ethereum gas fees. Whether you’re launching a 10,000-piece collection or a one-off art drop, these advanced techniques will help you mint more efficiently, strategically, and affordably.

Here are seven battle-tested gas hacks to optimize your NFT minting on Ethereum.

Key Takeaways

• Layer 2 networks, such as Polygon and Arbitrum, offer near-zero gas fees for NFT minting.

• Batch minting using standards like ERC721A can cut costs by over 80%.

• Lazy minting defers fees to buyers, saving upfront gas.

• Off-peak scheduling reduces Ethereum gas fees by up to 60%.

• Smart contract optimization directly lowers minting transaction costs.

What Are Ethereum Gas Fees?

Gas fees are payments made to Ethereum validators for processing transactions. These fees, denominated in Gwei, vary depending on network congestion. Minting an NFT, which triggers smart contract execution, can cost anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds — making efficiency crucial for creators.

1. Use Layer 2 Solutions

Ethereum’s congestion has driven gas fees sky-high, but Layer 2 (L2) solutions offer an elegant fix. Networks like Polygon, zkSync, Arbitrum, and Optimism offload transaction execution and settle on the Ethereum mainnet in batches. This reduces gas costs dramatically—often to fractions of a cent.

To begin:

• Bridge ETH to your chosen L2 using tools like the Arbitrum Bridge or zkSync Portal.

• Connect your wallet to the new network.

• Mint your NFTs on supported platforms like OpenSea (Polygon), Immutable X, or Zora.

Pros

Cons

2. Batch Minting with ERC721A or ERC1155

Minting NFTs one by one is inefficient. Standards like ERC721A and ERC1155 allow you to batch mint NFTs, compressing multiple mints into a single transaction—a game-changer for cost savings.

Here’s how to use it:

• Use a minting platform like Manifold Studio, or deploy a custom contract that supports ERC721A.

• Upload your metadata and assets.

• Mint in bulk using built-in batch functions.

This is one of the most effective methods for reducing Ethereum gas fees in high-volume projects.

Pros

Cons

Azuki cut collector gas costs by over 60% using ERC721A.

3. Lazy Minting (Mint-on-Demand)

With lazy minting NFTs, creators upload content off-chain and defer blockchain confirmation until the asset is purchased. This means you avoid paying gas unless there’s a sale.

How it works:

• Choose a platform like OpenSea, Rarible, or Mintable.

• Upload your NFT metadata—the file remains off-chain until sold.

• When someone buys it, the NFT is minted and logged on-chain.

Pros

Cons

4. Time Your Mints During Off-Peak Hours

Gas prices fluctuate wildly throughout the day. By timing your mint during low network activity, you can significantly reduce costs—sometimes by 60% or more.

To optimize timing:

• Use trackers like Etherscan Gas Tracker or Blocknative’s estimator

• Identify low-traffic windows (typically 1–6 AM UTC or weekends)

• Plan your drops or contract interactions accordingly

Pros

Cons

5. Optimize Smart Contract Code

Well-written smart contracts don’t just perform better—they cost less. By minimizing expensive operations, you reduce the amount of gas required for minting and other interactions.

To get started:

• Use libraries like OpenZeppelin, which offer gas-efficient contract templates

• Run audits with tools such as Slither or MythX

• Avoid storage-heavy loops and unoptimized logic

This is a long-term investment that helps consistently reduce Ethereum gas fees for both creators and collectors interacting with your contracts.

Pros

Cons

6. Set Custom Gas Prices and Limits

Most wallets allow you to adjust gas settings manually. During low congestion, lowering the Gwei price can result in meaningful savings without sacrificing reliability.

Here’s how:

• In MetaMask or Rabby, click “Edit” before confirming a transaction

• Choose “Low” or enter a custom Gwei value (e.g., 8 Gwei during quiet times)

• Confirm the transaction and monitor its progress

Pros

Cons

7. Use Gas Abstraction Tools or Gasless Minting

Gas abstraction shifts the gas payment from the user to a third-party relayer. Some platforms even subsidize these fees as part of promotional campaigns or UX design.

To try it:

• Sign up with platforms like Mintology, Biconomy, or Gelato

• Create your NFT and authorize a transaction—no ETH needed

• A relayer processes the minting on-chain, sometimes absorbing the cost entirely

Pros

Cons

Risks to Consider

While these hacks can drastically reduce gas fees, they’re not without trade-offs:

• Off-chain or abstracted transactions may depend on third-party uptime and integrity

• Lazy minting delays on-chain provenance

• Optimized contracts require upfront dev work or audit costs

Bonus: Consider Cheaper Blockchains

Ethereum isn’t the only game in town. Chains like Polygon, Tezos, and Solana offer minting for pennies or less—ideal for large or experimental projects.

Cross-chain platforms like OpenSea and Magic Eden now support multi-network minting, allowing you to maintain reach while dramatically reducing cost.

Conclusion

Ethereum gas fees remain one of the biggest hurdles for NFT creators—but they don’t have to be. As the Ethereum ecosystem evolves, the tools to reduce Ethereum gas fees are becoming increasingly powerful, accessible, and creator-friendly.

From leveraging Layer 2s and batch minting NFTs to strategic timing and lazy minting NFTs, there are actionable ways to mint smarter.

Whether you’re launching your first NFT collection or scaling your fifth, the techniques in this guide can help you stay competitive and sustainable in a cost-sensitive Web3 economy.

Crypto Journalist

Anas Hassan

Crypto Journalist

Anas Hassan

About Author

Anas is a crypto native journalist and SEO writer with over five years of writing experience covering blockchain, crypto, DeFi, and emerging tech.

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Last updated: 

June 12, 2025

President Donald Trump has escalated his public feud with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, branding him a “numbskull” while simultaneously pledging not to fire the central bank chief despite mounting frustration over the Fed’s reluctance to slash interest rates.

Speaking at a White House event Thursday, Trump delivered his harshest criticism of Powell’s monetary policy approach, claiming that lowering rates by just one percentage point could save the United States $300 billion annually, while a two-point reduction would generate $600 billion in savings.

Why Trump Wants to ‘Force Something’

Trump’s latest verbal assault marks the third time in two days that his administration has publicly targeted Powell. It follows similar criticisms from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Vice President JD Vance, who called the Fed’s stance “monetary malpractice.”

The coordinated pressure campaign came from the administration’s growing impatience with the central bank’s independence, particularly as Trump faces re-election pressures and seeks to demonstrate economic leadership.

Despite repeatedly calling Powell “Too Late” and questioning why firing him would be controversial, Trump stopped short of threatening termination, instead ominously suggesting he “may have to force something” if rate cuts don’t materialize soon.

The timing of Trump’s criticism appears strategic, coming as recent economic indicators show inflation cooling and energy prices declining due to increased domestic drilling under his “drill, baby, drill” energy policy.

Powell’s current term as Fed chair expires in May 2026, and Trump has hinted that an announcement regarding his nominee for the next Fed chair could come soon.

Harvard legal experts suggest that while Trump may have constitutional authority to remove Powell, such a move would likely trigger severe market volatility and undermine the Fed’s credibility as an inflation fighter, potentially causing long-term interest rates to spike even if short-term rates were cut.

Presidential Pressure Campaign Intensifies Fed Independence Debate

The escalating confrontation between Trump and Powell is a fundamental clash over Federal Reserve independence with deep constitutional and economic implications.

Trump’s frustration stems from his belief that the current interest rate environment unnecessarily burdens federal borrowing costs, particularly as the government faces mounting short-term debt obligations approved during the Biden administration.

The president argued that Europe has implemented ten rate cuts while the Fed has delivered none, despite similar economic conditions and falling inflation metrics.

Legal scholars say that while the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 allows governors to be removed “for cause,” the Supreme Court’s recent decisions have gradually eroded the traditional “for cause” protections that independent agencies have enjoyed for 85 years.

Harvard Law School’s Daniel Tarullo, a former Fed Board member, suggests that three conservative justices have hinted at potentially treating the Federal Reserve differently from other agencies, possibly creating a carve-out based on the central bank’s historical precedent dating back to the First and Second Banks of the United States.

However, market dynamics may provide Powell with more protection than legal statutes, as any attempt to remove the Fed chair would likely trigger immediate and severe market reactions that would prove counterproductive to Trump’s economic objectives.

The anticipated market volatility is a powerful disincentive, particularly given that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has focused on maintaining stable 10-year Treasury rates, which are key for economic investment decisions.

Recent economic indicators have strengthened Trump’s argument for immediate monetary easing. Inflation data show continued price stability and energy costs declining due to expanded domestic oil production.

The favorable Producer Price Index reading in May has calmed fears about tariff-induced inflation spikes, emboldening the administration to intensify pressure on the Fed while markets increasingly price in potential rate cuts later this year.

There is a setting called “minimum difficulty”.

When I read their manual, Item #8 state

The pool automatically assigns difficulty levels to correspond to minor hashrates.

my Scoring hashrate and Hashrate It matches what my mine manufacturer advertises: 13.5 th/s

And my default is also set to 128.

However, even reading the manual, you will see that you need to set the minimum difficulty level to 1024 at 1/s and increase linearly with the hashrate.

According to the table, my difficulty should be 13312, which is 13 times. This is much higher than the 128 pool.

Do I need to set the minimum difficulty level?

I tried to understand the minimum difficulty, but I couldn’t find a clear and simple explanation of what this number represents.

Bitcoin is the only solution to the United States’ $36 trillion debt, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said while promoting the BITCOIN Act in an X post on Friday.

Senator Cynthia Lummis Promotes The BITCOIN Act

“I’m particularly pleased with President Trump’s support of my Strategic Bitcoin Reserve initiative, which will address our national debt while securing America’s position as the global leader in financial innovation,” the Republican senator said in a video shared on social media.

Introduced by Lummis and Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) in March at the Bitcoin for America Summit, the proposed legislation would see the creation of a federal Bitcoin reserve in a bid to make the U.S. the leader in digital asset technologies.

Lummis further alleged that large-scale adoption of Bitcoin would be “transformative” and put “the everyday worker all over the world in control of their money.”

“As Bitcoin comes into more usage, its use makes the whole system more secure, more robust, and more capable of serving our needs all over the world,” she added. “We should be the global leader with this fantastic, new ledger-based asset that is in a digital format.”

The U.S. Head Towards A Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Proponents of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve widely believe that it would position the U.S. as a technologically forward-looking global power while acting as a hedge against traditional financial concerns.

Trump largely campaigned on enacting a crypto-friendly regulatory framework, promising to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”

In March, Trump signed an executive order mandating the development of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and digital asset stockpile.

“I am very positive and open-minded to cryptocurrency companies, and all things related to this new and burgeoning industry,” he said. “Our country must be the leader in the field.”

As of Friday afternoon, Bitcoin continued to experience a slight surge in value, hovering around $97,000.

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