# Ethereum transactions and nonces: how requests stay in order

An Ethereum transaction is a signed request to change network state. Its fields identify the destination, any ETH value, call data and fee limits. A sender nonce orders ordinary transactions and prevents the same authorized transaction from executing repeatedly; a transaction hash alone does not prove inclusion or success.

Evidence: [Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md); [Ethereum accounts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/accounts/index.md); [JSON-RPC API](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/index.md)

Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/ethereum-transactions-and-nonces/
Published: 2026-10-02
Substantively modified: 2026-10-02
Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T18:16:35.976Z

AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied.

## Key facts

- **Value:** The native ETH amount, denominated in wei ([Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md))
- **Data:** May encode a contract function and arguments ([Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md); [Interacting with smart contracts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/smart-contracts/interacting/index.md))
- **Receipt:** Reports execution status after inclusion ([JSON-RPC API](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/index.md))

## The destination and the recipient may describe different things

A simple ETH payment names the recipient in its destination field. A token transfer instead calls a token contract; the intended token recipient is an argument inside the call data. The top-level ETH value may be zero.

That is why a wallet or explorer needs to decode more than the amount field. A zero-ETH transaction can move valuable tokens, create an allowance or change a contract’s settings.

Evidence: [Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md); [Interacting with smart contracts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/smart-contracts/interacting/index.md)

## Follow the earliest unfinished sender nonce

If the next ordinary sender nonce is 12, a transaction using nonce 13 cannot simply execute first in that account’s sequence. It may wait while nonce 12 is missing or pending. A wallet can group these as several pending actions even though the earliest gap explains the queue.

A same-nonce replacement competes for the original slot; a new-nonce transaction is another operation. Once an included transaction uses the nonce, even a top-level execution failure does not make that nonce available for an unrelated retry.

Evidence: [Ethereum transactions](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/transactions/); [Ethereum JSON-RPC](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/); [Ethereum accounts](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/accounts/)

## A receipt separates failure from a request still waiting

Before inclusion, a receipt may be unavailable. After inclusion, its status distinguishes successful execution from failure. A reverted operation can still consume gas because nodes performed work before the failure occurred.

For example, a transfer attempt might fail because a contract’s balance check rejects it. The requested transfer does not take effect, but a recorded transaction and fee can remain. Read status and logs alongside the headline amount.

Evidence: [JSON-RPC API](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/index.md); [Gas and fees](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/gas/index.md)

## Nonce order is not the same as settlement finality

The nonce describes account-level replay and ordering rules; finality describes the chain’s agreement about its history. A receipt in a recent block and a finalized transaction answer different questions.

Account delegation and contract-created operations add detail beyond the simplest nonce counter story. In particular, EIP-7702 authorization can also affect an account nonce. Use the relevant wallet and protocol rules rather than treating a nonce as merely a lifetime payment count.

Evidence: [Proof of stake](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/index.md); [EIP-7702: Set Code for EOAs](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/EIPs/ac912ca6a9685590345dd8e5736cda75976d0131/EIPS/eip-7702.md)

## Questions

### Does a transaction hash mean the payment worked?

No. It identifies a transaction; check whether it was included, its execution status and the applicable confirmation or finality state.

Evidence: [JSON-RPC API](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/index.md); [Proof of stake](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/index.md)

### Can a failed transaction have a network fee?

Yes. Work performed during an included transaction can be charged even when execution fails or a contract reverts.

Evidence: [Gas and fees](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/gas/index.md)

### Can I cancel an already finalized payment?

Submitting another transaction cannot erase a finalized payment. Pending replacement is a race before execution, not an onchain undo function.

Evidence: [Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md); [Proof of stake](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/index.md)

## Claims and scope

### ethereum-transactions-and-nonces-quick-answer

An Ethereum transaction is a signed request to change network state. Its fields identify the destination, any ETH value, call data and fee limits. A sender nonce orders ordinary transactions and prevents the same authorized transaction from executing repeatedly; a transaction hash alone does not prove inclusion or success.

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":null,"blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-transactions-and-nonces-fact-value

Value: The native ETH amount, denominated in wei

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":null,"blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-transactions-and-nonces-fact-data

Data: May encode a contract function and arguments

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":null,"blockHeight":null}

### ethereum-transactions-and-nonces-fact-receipt

Receipt: Reports execution status after inclusion

Scope: {"collection":"ethereum","dataAsOf":null,"blockHeight":null}

## Sources

- [Ethereum transactions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/transactions/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Supports nonce ordering, value versus calldata, signed transaction fields, receipts and transaction inclusion. Locator: What is a transaction; the data field; transaction lifecycle. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:40.399251+00:00.
- [Ethereum accounts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/accounts/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Supports accounts versus wallet software and account state fields. The older empty-code EOA description is qualified using EIP-7702. Locator: Account types; an account examined; a note on wallets. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:40.369782+00:00.
- [JSON-RPC API](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Defines chain identity, balance/nonces, read-only simulation and receipt/status/log fields. Locator: eth_chainId; eth_getBalance; eth_getTransactionCount; eth_call; eth_getTransactionReceipt. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:47.605538+00:00.
- [Interacting with smart contracts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/smart-contracts/interacting/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Supports read-only calls, state-changing transactions, ABI decoding and limits of simulation. Locator: Reading; writing; understanding contract ABIs; events and logs; simulating. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:40.398262+00:00.
- [Gas and fees](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/gas/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Supports gas units, ETH/gwei units, base/priority fees, resource limits and charges for executed failed transactions. Locator: How are gas fees calculated; base fee; gas limit. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:40.393022+00:00.
- [Proof of stake](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/ethereum-org-website/dcc900ff125891da5b6c723b905a7113cf1bd864/public/content/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/index.md) — ethereum.org contributors. Supports 12-second slots, 32-slot epochs, stake-weighted checkpoint voting and block verification. Locator: Validators; transaction execution; finality; fork choice. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:43.818781+00:00.
- [EIP-7702: Set Code for EOAs](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ethereum/EIPs/ac912ca6a9685590345dd8e5736cda75976d0131/EIPS/eip-7702.md) — Ethereum Improvement Proposals. Defines persistent EOA code delegation, continued transaction origination and the account-wide consequences of delegate code. Locator: Abstract; persistence of code delegation; transaction origination; security considerations. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T14:35:51.249142+00:00.
- [Ethereum transactions](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/transactions/) — ethereum.org contributors. Signed transaction fields, nonces, propagation, inclusion and transaction types. Locator: The transaction lifecycle; Typed transaction envelope. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:41.854Z.
- [Ethereum JSON-RPC](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/apis/json-rpc/) — ethereum.org contributors. RPC response fields, transaction receipts, call simulation and log filtering. Locator: eth_getTransactionByHash; eth_getTransactionReceipt; eth_call; eth_getLogs; eth_getCode; eth_estimateGas; eth_getBalance; eth_getStorageAt; eth_getTransactionCount; default block parameter. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:42.060Z.
- [Ethereum accounts](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/accounts/) — ethereum.org contributors. Key-controlled and code-controlled accounts, balances, nonces and storage. Locator: Account types; An account examined; Account creation. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:41.958Z.

## Revision history

- 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and independent automated verification.
- 2026-10-02: Expanded explanation: Follow the earliest unfinished sender nonce. Worked examples are illustrative; source checks and independent verification are recorded separately.

## Cite this entry

Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Ethereum transactions and nonces: how requests stay in order.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/ethereum-transactions-and-nonces/