Just now when the network was congested, I kept staring at a whole pile of “queue numbers” in the mempool, and it felt like taking a number at a bubble tea shop: you think once you place the order you’ve basically got it, but really you’re just handed a little ticket... Someone in front keeps adding tips to cut the line (by raising gas), and your transaction goes from “coming soon” to “wait a bit longer.” What’s even worse is that some transactions get stuck so long that the nodes just treat them like they’re not there—you watch your wallet spinning, and you’ve already cursed yourself in your head.

Why do I get twitchy? To put it plainly, I’m afraid of missing out on that kind of plot where “it’s about to fly in the next second.” The more congested it gets, the more I want to squeeze in to prove I’m not even a half-beat slow—so I end up getting hot-headed and paying even higher fees. In the end, what I actually “buy” might just be an emotional rush.

Recently, everyone’s been comparing on-chain products by bringing up RWA, and even things like US Treasury yield rates—I get the logic. But don’t forget: on-chain, before you even think about whether you can settle on time, you have to get through the mempool first. Even if the returns look great, getting stuck on the way is still pretty awkward. Anyway, I’d rather wait a little now—no need to sacrifice myself just to win a moment of bravado and end up as content for someone else’s “newbie loss” story.