Just looked at the mempool, and it really is like waiting in line for coffee during rush hour… Placing an order (sending a transaction) doesn’t mean you get your drink immediately; you first get in the queue, and miners/validators will prioritize those who give higher tips. If you tip less, you’ll stay hanging there: sometimes stuck for half a day, and it might even get dropped back (timeout/replacement). It’s more obvious during congestion, so don’t rush to resend repeatedly, or you’ll end up bouncing the same transaction back and forth, confusing yourself.

Recently, I also heard that in some regions, taxes are being increased and compliance is tightening and loosening, causing people’s deposit and withdrawal expectations to change. The on-chain “sudden wave of congestion” is more like an emotional switch… To put it simply, it’s not that the technology suddenly got worse, but that people panic and rush to push the door open together.

One step I’m willing to take myself: I’d rather spend an extra two minutes doing a small test transfer + confirming the address whitelist, and I’m willing to pay a slightly higher fee. At least I won’t be burning money and losing my temper in the congestion. Anyway, taking it slow is better than making a mistake.