When a transaction in MetaMask is pending for too long, you can speed it up by increasing the gas fee associated with the transaction. This encourages miners to prioritize your transaction over others in the mempool.

Steps to Speed Up a Transaction

Follow these steps to speed up a pending transaction in MetaMask:

• Open MetaMask: Launch your MetaMask wallet and navigate to the Activity tab.
• Locate the Pending Transaction: Find the transaction that is currently pending.
• Click on the Transaction: Click on the transaction to view its details.
• Click on "Speed Up": If available, click the "Speed Up" button. If you don't see it immediately, wait a few seconds for it to appear.
• Adjust Gas Fee: Increase the gas fee to a higher amount to incentivize miners.
• Confirm the Transaction: Review the changes and confirm the transaction to submit it with the new gas fee.

Sample Code to Speed Up a Transaction

Below is a sample code snippet that demonstrates how to programmatically speed up a transaction using the MetaMask API.

const speedUpTransaction = async (txHash, newGasPrice) => {
    const tx = {
        from: '0xYourAddress',
        to: '0xRecipientAddress',
        gas: '0x5208', // 21000 Gwei
        gasPrice: newGasPrice, // New gas price in Gwei
        nonce: await window.ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_getTransactionCount', params: ['0xYourAddress', 'latest'] }),
        value: '0x0', // Amount to send
        data: '0x', // Optional data
    };

    const txHash = await window.ethereum.request({
        method: 'eth_sendTransaction',
        params: [tx],
    });

    console.log(`Transaction sent with hash: ${txHash}`);
};

// Example usage
const newGasPrice = '0x3b9aca00'; // New gas price in Gwei
speedUpTransaction('0xYourPendingTxHash', newGasPrice);

Important Considerations

- **No Guarantee:** Speeding up a transaction does not guarantee that it will be confirmed faster. The original transaction may still be processed first.
- **Nonce Management:** Ensure that the nonce for the new transaction matches the original transaction to avoid conflicts.
- **Gas Fees:** Monitor current gas prices to set an appropriate gas fee for your transaction.

Conclusion

Speeding up a transaction in MetaMask is a straightforward process that can help ensure your transactions are processed in a timely manner. By adjusting the gas fee and following the steps outlined above, you can enhance your transaction experience on the Ethereum network.