Restore my faith in Bitcoin (transaction times)

[scott1979]

So I am a long time Bitcoin owner and big fan for many reasons. However, recently my faith in it is shaken. I sent a transaction 10 days ago with a .001 transaction fee.

This is odd actually, it was registered on blockchain.info yesterday, but not today.  https://blockchain.info/address/32Q7iAktWh9fxkLiofNBfDfVzrCYN9bcUP  If some one could explain that to me it would be great as well.

Any way, the main concern, I have faith my bitcoin have not disappeared and will go through eventually, but how is a system this slow ever suppose to work? 

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[achow101]

The Bitcoin network will "forget" a transaction if it remains unconfirmed for a few days. The Bitcoin is not lost, rather it will "return" to your wallet since, to the network (and your wallet), it is as if that transaction had never existed in the first place. You should be able to resend the Bitcoin, although that may depend on your wallet.

What is the transaction id of your transaction?

[scott1979]

This is my transaction ID. a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258-000

So the info doesn't appear on blockchain.info, so I figure it must have been dropped, but it also is not in my wallet 

The major point though is why would a transaction with .001 transaction fee not get completed, that is a very high transaction fee.

Also any help with this transaction would be appreciated, for the moment the bitcoin does seem to have completely vanished.

[merelcoin]

This is my transaction ID. a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258-000

So the info doesn't appear on blockchain.info, so I figure it must have been dropped, but it also is not in my wallet  

The major point though is why would a transaction with .001 transaction fee not get completed, that is a very high transaction fee.

Also any help with this transaction would be appreciated, for the moment the bitcoin does seem to have completely vanished.

Hi,

Which kind of wallet sofware are you using? The behaviour of forgotten transactions might vary between core, electrum, multibit,...
For example: core will keep on re-broadcasting the transaction, unless you explicitly tell it to stop doing this.

About the size of the fee: the transaction has been forgotten by the blockr.io and blockchain.info node, so i cannot see what happened exactly. It might have been because your transaction had a lot of inputs and outputs (the fee depends on the transaction size, not the transacted amount of bitcoins)

[achow101]

This is my transaction ID. a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258-000

So the info doesn't appear on blockchain.info, so I figure it must have been dropped, but it also is not in my wallet  

The major point though is why would a transaction with .001 transaction fee not get completed, that is a very high transaction fee.

Also any help with this transaction would be appreciated, for the moment the bitcoin does seem to have completely vanished.

There are other factors than just the transaction fee. A transaction also depends on the inputs being confirmed, not having dust outputs, and not being double spent. I was able to find the transaction on blockcypher: https://live.blockcypher.com/btc/tx/a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258/. If you look at the inputs and click on the links to the referenced outputs, you will see that two of the inputs spend from unconfirmed outputs, https://live.blockcypher.com/btc/tx/19421143193ff8dde11cb88d05703b8b94611ef06ca1d21c50bae7cf891e951d/#output-index-1 and https://live.blockcypher.com/btc/tx/dbf70bf5baf644bb9a0770c00cac4053cec179d1d51c57db93acde75d5dc596f/#output-index-0. Because these transactions are still not confirmed, your transaction cannot confirm. These two transactions are unlikely to confirm because they have 0 fees.

It looks like you are using Bitcoin Core (it's the only wallet that has the -000 in the transaction id). What version are you using? Does your balance show that the Bitcoin in question has been spent?

[scott1979]

I am using bitcoin core v0.12.1, but when I sent it I was using a older version, I can't recall what version that was, it was about a year old.
The amount sent was 0.46103363 BTC, so a larger amount. Not sure if having a really odd number hurts? I sent 1 bitcoin earlier with a .0001 transaction fee and it sent right away.

I know there is a .01 transaction with no fee, ignore that one, well I know it will take a while to send. The one that concerns me is the bigger one with the .001 transaction fee.

Thanks.

[achow101]

I am using bitcoin core v0.12.1, but when I sent it I was using a older version, I can't recall what version that was, it was about a year old.
The amount sent was 0.46103363 BTC, so a larger amount. Not sure if having a really odd number hurts? I sent 1 bitcoin earlier with a .0001 transaction fee and it sent right away.

The actual value of the transaction does not matter.

I know there is a .01 transaction with no fee, ignore that one, well I know it will take a while to send. The one that concerns me is the bigger one with the .001 transaction fee.

Thanks.

That 0.01 transaction with no fee cannot be ignored. As I said in my post above, the transaction in question depends on two transactions that do not have fees. Because it depends on those transactions, the bigger transaction cannot confirm until those 0 fee transactions do.

[scott1979]

ok, I understand, So first the .01 ones have to go through. Those were a mistake on my part, I am not sure what happened, my bitcoin core had a transaction fee of .0001 added to every other transaction, I must have clicked something.   So I basically just have to wait for the .01 with no transaction fee to go through, which will never happen? In the mean time my .46 bitcoin is stuck in limbo??

Thanks.

[DannyHamilton]

ok, I understand, So first the .01 ones have to go through. Those were a mistake on my part, I am not sure what happened, my bitcoin core had a transaction fee of .0001 added to every other transaction, I must have clicked something.   So I basically just have to wait for the .01 with no transaction fee to go through, which will never happen? In the mean time my .46 bitcoin is stuck in limbo??

Thanks.

If you are running version 0.12.1 then you can remove from your wallet the transactions that will not confirm.  The unconfirmed bitcoins will return to your wallet ballance, and you'll be able to resend the bitcoins with a proper fee.

Note that if the new transactions that you create don't use the same inputs as the earlier unconfirmed transactions, it may be possible for the recipient to re-broadcast those earlier unconfirmed transactions and get paid from you twice.  It would be best to either use the coin-control features of Bitcoin Core 0.12.1 to make sure you re-use the same inputs or to send your entire balance to a new output once you've removed the unconfirmed transactions.

[scott1979]

ok, I understand, So first the .01 ones have to go through. Those were a mistake on my part, I am not sure what happened, my bitcoin core had a transaction fee of .0001 added to every other transaction, I must have clicked something.   So I basically just have to wait for the .01 with no transaction fee to go through, which will never happen? In the mean time my .46 bitcoin is stuck in limbo??

Thanks.

If you are running version 0.12.1 then you can remove from your wallet the transactions that will not confirm.  The unconfirmed bitcoins will return to your wallet ballance, and you'll be able to resend the bitcoins with a proper fee.

Note that if the new transactions that you create don't use the same inputs as the earlier unconfirmed transactions, it may be possible for the recipient to re-broadcast those earlier unconfirmed transactions and get paid from you twice.  It would be best to either use the coin-control features of Bitcoin Core 0.12.1 to make sure you re-use the same inputs or to send your entire balance to a new output once you've removed the unconfirmed transactions.

Thanks, so how would I do this exactly?

[achow101]

ok, I understand, So first the .01 ones have to go through. Those were a mistake on my part, I am not sure what happened, my bitcoin core had a transaction fee of .0001 added to every other transaction, I must have clicked something.   So I basically just have to wait for the .01 with no transaction fee to go through, which will never happen? In the mean time my .46 bitcoin is stuck in limbo??

Thanks.

Thanks, so how would I do this exactly?

You can actually resend those two transactions with a higher fee, but doing so will also invalidate your big transaction so you will need to resend that as well.

In Bitcoin Core, go to Help > Debug Window and click on the Console tab. In the box at the bottom, type

Code:

abandontransaction 19421143193ff8dde11cb88d05703b8b94611ef06ca1d21c50bae7cf891e951d
abandontransaction dbf70bf5baf644bb9a0770c00cac4053cec179d1d51c57db93acde75d5dc596f
abandontransaction a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258

Make sure you hit enter between typing each line. These commands will tell your wallet to essentially forget about those three transactions. Now you should be able to resend all three transactions.

If you go to Settings > Options, click on the Wallet tab, and check "Enable coin control features", and hit Ok, you will be able to select which inputs you want to spend for each of the three transactions. This will allow you to resend those three transactions but with a higher fee.

When you go to send Bitcoin, click on the "Choose" button next to "Transaction Fee". Make sure that the radio button for "Recommended" is selected and that you have the slider all the way to the right next to "Fast" so that you send the transaction with a decent fee.

[scott1979]

ok, I understand, So first the .01 ones have to go through. Those were a mistake on my part, I am not sure what happened, my bitcoin core had a transaction fee of .0001 added to every other transaction, I must have clicked something.   So I basically just have to wait for the .01 with no transaction fee to go through, which will never happen? In the mean time my .46 bitcoin is stuck in limbo??

Thanks.

Thanks, so how would I do this exactly?

You can actually resend those two transactions with a higher fee, but doing so will also invalidate your big transaction so you will need to resend that as well.

In Bitcoin Core, go to Help > Debug Window and click on the Console tab. In the box at the bottom, type

Code:

abandontransaction 19421143193ff8dde11cb88d05703b8b94611ef06ca1d21c50bae7cf891e951d
abandontransaction dbf70bf5baf644bb9a0770c00cac4053cec179d1d51c57db93acde75d5dc596f
abandontransaction a2a51468605670aea93f05d62c622079b22a5c1c426d7bec5558782e61229258

Make sure you hit enter between typing each line. These commands will tell your wallet to essentially forget about those three transactions. Now you should be able to resend all three transactions.

If you go to Settings > Options, click on the Wallet tab, and check "Enable coin control features", and hit Ok, you will be able to select which inputs you want to spend for each of the three transactions. This will allow you to resend those three transactions but with a higher fee.

When you go to send Bitcoin, click on the "Choose" button next to "Transaction Fee". Make sure that the radio button for "Recommended" is selected and that you have the slider all the way to the right next to "Fast" so that you send the transaction with a decent fee.

Thanks, but I entered those codes, and got



Transaction not eligible for abandonment (code -5)


as a message??

[achow101]

Thanks, but I entered those codes, and got 
Transaction not eligible for abandonment (code -5)
as a message??

Try restarting Bitcoin Core and doing those commands again.

If that doesn't work, then you can start Bitcoin Core with the -zapwallettxes command line argument. Instructions for doing this are os specific, so what os are you using?

[scott1979]

Thanks, but I entered those codes, and got 
Transaction not eligible for abandonment (code -5)
as a message??

Try restarting Bitcoin Core and doing those commands again.

If that doesn't work, then you can start Bitcoin Core with the -zapwallettxes command line argument. Instructions for doing this are os specific, so what os are you using?

I restarted it and got the same message.  I am using windows 10

[achow101]

I restarted it and got the same message.  I am using windows 10

Ok then, -zapwallettxes will need to be used. This will remove all unconfirmed transactions from your wallet.

Shut down Bitcoin Core. Next right click the shortcut for Bitcoin Core and choose "Properties". Then in the box labeled "target", move the cursor all the way to the right and add the following

Code:

 -zapwallettxes

Make sure that there is a space between what is already in the target box and -zapwallettxes. Now click Ok and double click the shortcut to start Bitcoin Core. When it is fully started, you should see that any unconfirmed transactions that you previously had are no longer listed in the transactions tab. You can now resend those three transactions with the right fees.

[scott1979]

I restarted it and got the same message.  I am using windows 10

Ok then, -zapwallettxes will need to be used. This will remove all unconfirmed transactions from your wallet.

Shut down Bitcoin Core. Next right click the shortcut for Bitcoin Core and choose "Properties". Then in the box labeled "target", move the cursor all the way to the right and add the following

Code:

 -zapwallettxes

Make sure that there is a space between what is already in the target box and -zapwallettxes. Now click Ok and double click the shortcut to start Bitcoin Core. When it is fully started, you should see that any unconfirmed transactions that you previously had are no longer listed in the transactions tab. You can now resend those three transactions with the right fees.

A million thanks, that worked. I really appreciate it!!!


you helped me and explained the real issue. I couldn't get my head around why this transaction with a good transaction fee was not going through, answer because there was another one blocking it with no transaction fee.