Entering your full ETH balance triggers “insufficient funds”, and the Max button leaves a few cents behind. That is how Ethereum fees work.
Why gas is reserved
The fee is paid in ETH from the same address. Before inclusion, the network requires the balance to cover the amount plus gas limit × max fee per gas (ethereum.org: gas). The actual charge is the block's base fee plus your priority fee, so the unused part of the reserve stays on the address. A plain ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas, but its price changes every block.
What to do
- Use Max instead of typing the full balance.
- Do not pick the lowest fee — with an empty address you cannot speed it up later (speed up or cancel).
- Keep ETH if the address holds tokens.
- Send the dust later when fees drop, or leave it.
On layer-2 networks such as Arbitrum or Base the fee also includes a data cost paid to Ethereum, which moves too, so Max may leave a slightly larger remainder there. It is a reserve, not a hidden charge, and the leftover stays yours.
A remainder smaller than any reasonable fee is not lost: it stays on your address and can pay for gas later.
Swapping the balance
For an order such as ETH to SOL, enter an amount that leaves room for gas and send it in one transaction. Estimate the cost with the gas calculator.
FAQ
Why is ETH left after sending Max?
The wallet reserves gas at the maximum price; the unused part stays on the address.
Can I empty an address completely?
Nearly, but gas prices move each block, so a tiny remainder is common.