Consensus is established asynchronously using a gossip network. Once a VAA has been signed by a sufficient number of nodes, it is posted to the Solana chain for data availability. It is then either immediately executed, or, for VAAs to be executed on Ethereum, retrieved by the user who triggered the transaction and submitted to Ethereum — and the fee paid for — by themselves (this happens transparently when using the Wormhole wallet). The fee for Solana transactions is paid for by the requestor by paying a slightly higher rent on the account that is created when requesting a token lock or burn.