Yesterday, during the on-chain congestion, I was taught a lesson by the mempool again: you click send, but the transaction actually first queues up in the "waiting hall," and miners/validators prioritize packing those with higher tips, which are more profitable for them. So what you see are stalls, reordering, or even being cut in line by others; if it takes too long, it might expire directly, or if you get impatient and increase the fee, you might end up paying more but not necessarily getting on the chain immediately.

Now, when I encounter congestion, I usually pause first, think carefully if this transaction is really necessary, and if it is, I factor in slippage and failure costs. Recently, everyone has been talking about rate cut expectations, the US dollar index, and risk assets acting up together in a synchronized manner... In short, when emotions run high, on-chain activity becomes more like rush hour, so don’t struggle with yourself when it’s at its peak congestion.