Why your wallet balance falls after a reverted swap

A reverted swap can still lower your wallet balance because the network may charge a fee for processing a failed transaction. The trade’s token transfers are rolled back, but the fee is not.

What happens when a swap reverts?

When a transaction is included in a block and execution fails, the network undoes the swap’s state changes but charges for the computation already used. On Ethereum and similar networks, that fee is paid in the chain’s native token, so the balance of that token can fall even if the swapped tokens remain unchanged.

The amount depends on the transaction’s gas use and the network’s fee conditions when it was processed. A failed swap can therefore cost less than, or sometimes close to, a successful one; the quoted fee before submission is an estimate, not a guarantee.

Why do my token balances look different?

First check the transaction receipt and wallet activity to see whether the swap reverted and which asset paid the fee. A displayed balance can also change because the wallet is showing a different network, updating after a delay, or valuing tokens at a changed market price.

A token approval is a separate transaction from the swap. If you approved a token earlier, that approval may have succeeded and its fee remains spent even if the later swap reverted. For more on how route choice affects a trade, the fermi swap guide covers the options in greater detail.

What should I check before trying again?

Use the transaction record to separate the fee from any token movement. Check the network, transaction status and amounts before submitting another swap; a failed transaction does not necessarily cancel other transactions waiting in your wallet.

• Confirm the transaction says “reverted” or “failed” in the wallet or block explorer.
• Check the fee asset and amount in the transaction details.
• Look for a separate approval or another pending transaction.
• Review the route, slippage setting and token amounts before retrying.

If the receipt confirms a revert, the swapped token balances should not have moved in that transaction, though the fee may have reduced your native-token balance. The next useful step is to identify the failure reason in the receipt before submitting again.