Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: digital on January 13, 2012, 03:28:49 PM



Title: Bitcoin client missing a transaction? Balance doesn't match block explorer...
Post by: digital on January 13, 2012, 03:28:49 PM
I was just looking at the block explorer under my main btc address and the numbers didn't match my client.

Block explorer says I should something like 3 btc, and my client says I have around 14.

Then I looked here:
http://blockchain.info/address/1KwrLtjW5tAvVYKYgsjYeuz6fn5TbHKkpY

On the third transaction down, I sent the 18btc and was expecting a fee of about .03 with the transaction.  I remember nothing about the 10.99 btc transaction associated with it.  Also, the 10.99 btc transaction does not show up in my client.

I'm running Windows 7 pro with Bitcoin Client 0.3.24-Beta.


Title: Re: Bitcoin client missing a transaction? Balance doesn't match block explorer...
Post by: digital on January 13, 2012, 04:00:11 PM
Actually, never mind.  I just did some reading up on this forum and I think I figured out what was going on.

The weird part of bitcoin where you randomly send transactions to yourself at a new address.  In this case it totally threw me off because the address it was sent to did not show up in my address book or any of my past transactions.

But from what I hear the address belongs to me, is in my address pool, but simply does not appear in my address book.

Sounds a little odd, but it is what it is, I guess.


Can anyone just verify that this sounds correct?


Title: Re: Bitcoin client missing a transaction? Balance doesn't match block explorer...
Post by: DeathAndTaxes on January 13, 2012, 04:08:44 PM
Yes.

Bitcoin can't spend part of a prior transaction.

So that transaction indicates you had a prior transaction where you received 29 BTC.  Bitcoin can't spend "part of it".  It must spend the entire prior transaction.  If there is no single prior transaction large enough it will need to spend 2+ prior transactions (you will see multiple inputs).
So it created a transaction that is:
IN 29 BTC (from address ending w/ db8)  <- a prior transaction to an address you control
OUT 18 BTC (to address ending w/ s7r)   <- the spend/transfer you are making
OUT 10.99 BTC (to YOUR address ending w/ phN)  <-the "change"

The difference (0.1 BTC) was transferred to the miner who hashed the block as a fee.

On edit: modified for clarification


Title: Re: Bitcoin client missing a transaction? Balance doesn't match block explorer...
Post by: digital on January 13, 2012, 04:10:43 PM
Ah, that is much clearer, now the transaction makes sense.

Thank you.