Fastest and cheapest crypto to send: Nano vs 19 coins compared
Which cryptocurrency is the fastest and cheapest to send? For a small transfer to someone who has never used the network, three things matter: how long it takes, what it costs, and whether the recipient needs a minimum balance or a second coin for gas before they can receive or spend it.
| Coin | Transfer time | Fee | Minimum to receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano (XNO) | โ 0.3 s | $0.00 | none |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 10โ60 min | โ$0.12 | 546 sats dust limit (โ$0.46) |
| Ethereum (ETH) | โ 12 s (final โ13 min) | $0.05โ1 | none, but ETH for gas ยท final in โ13 min |
| Solana (SOL) | โ 0.4 s | <$0.01 + priority | โ0.001 SOL rent for a new account (โ$0.11) |
| XRP | 3โ5 s | <$0.01 | 1 XRP reserve to open an account (โ$1.50) |
| Dogecoin (DOGE) | โ 1 min per block | <$0.01 | 0.01 DOGE dust limit (<$0.01) |
| Cardano (ADA) | โ 20 s | โ$0.04 | โ1 ADA minimum per UTXO (โ$0.25) |
| USDT (TRC-20) | โ 3 s (final โ 1 min) | โ$9.40 in TRX energy | recipient account must be activated with TRX (โ$0.37) |
| Litecoin (LTC) | โ 2.5 min per block | <$0.01 | dust limit (a fraction of a cent) |
| TRON (TRX) | โ 3 s (final โ 1 min) | โ$0.37 to a new address | 1 TRX burned to activate a new account (โ$0.34) |
| BNB (BNB Chain) | โ 3 s (final โ 8 s) | โ$0.02 | none, but BNB for gas on every move |
| USDC (ERC-20) | โ 12 s (final โ13 min) | $0.10โ3 in ETH | none, but the recipient needs ETH to move it |
| Toncoin (TON) | โ 5 s | <$0.01 | โ0.01 TON to activate a new wallet (โ$0.02) |
| Stellar (XLM) | โ 5 s | <$0.01 | 1 XLM reserve to open an account (โ$0.23) |
| Monero (XMR) | โ 2 min per block (final โ 20 min) | โ$0.02 | none |
| Avalanche (AVAX) | โ 2 s | <$0.01 | none, but AVAX for gas on every move |
| Polkadot (DOT) | โ 6 s (final โ 30 s) | โ$0.02 | 1 DOT existential deposit, smaller accounts are wiped (โ$1.17) |
| Shiba Inu (ERC-20) (SHIB) | โ 12 s (final โ13 min) | $0.10โ3 in ETH | none, but the recipient needs ETH to move it |
| Sui (SUI) | โ 0.5 s | <$0.01 | none, but SUI for gas on every move |
| Bitcoin Cash (BCH) | โ 10 min per block | <$0.01 | 546 sats dust limit (<$0.01) |
Typical mainnet values for a small transfer to a brand-new account. The Bitcoin fee is live from mempool.space; other fees are converted at current prices. Updated 2026-09-28.
The short answer
Nano is the only coin in this list with a $0 fee, no minimum balance and no gas token: a fraction of a cent sent to a brand-new wallet arrives in under a second. Solana and Sui are similarly fast, but every move costs a fee and needs SOL or SUI. XRP and Stellar lock a reserve before an account can exist. Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin wait for blocks and refuse amounts below their dust limit.
Why the minimum matters more than the fee
A one-cent fee sounds harmless. But a newcomer who receives USDT on TRON or USDC on Ethereum cannot move it without first buying TRX or ETH, and a new XRP or Stellar wallet needs coins locked as a reserve. For tips and small gifts this is the real barrier: the money arrives, but the person cannot use it.
See it on your own money: get a free Nano gift, send it to your wallet and time the transfer yourself.