Unconfirmed transaction despite high fee

[rickymartin]

Hi,
I bought bitcoin from someone and they sent me with a pretty high fee (230.973 sat/B)
But the transaction is still unconfirmed after more than 14 hours. What should I do now?
https://blockchain.info/tx/9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651

[superiorus]

It seems that you won't get your btc in this case
Remember: never consider that you received a bitcoin payment until you don't have minimum 1 confirmation in bitcoin network.

PS: to accelerate a bitcoin transaction you can use:  https://www.viabtc.com/tools/txaccelerator/

[NeuroticFish]

Hi,
I bought bitcoin from someone and they sent me with a pretty high fee (230.973 sat/B)
But the transaction is still unconfirmed after more than 14 hours. What should I do now?
https://blockchain.info/tx/9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651

A Bitcoin transaction is done for real only after it starts getting confirmations.
Until that point there are ways to "undo" the transaction (although it's not really undo, since the transaction is not done - not confirmed).
In this case your "seller" (scammer?) did a double spend. This means that although he sent you some money with high fee, he sent THE SAME money somewhere else with even higher fee. The transaction "to somewhere else" was confirmed and became the real one. Yours.. not.

Since the source wallet is now empty, I think that you won't get any money...

[rickymartin]

It seems that you won't get your btc in this case
Remember: never consider that you received a bitcoin payment until you don't have minimum 1 confirmation in bitcoin network.

PS: to accelerate a bitcoin transaction you can use:  https://www.viabtc.com/tools/txaccelerator/

I tried but it says the transaction doesn't exist.

[rickymartin]

A Bitcoin transaction is done for real only after it starts getting confirmations.
Until that point there are ways to "undo" the transaction (although it's not really undo, since the transaction is not done - not confirmed).
In this case your "seller" (scammer?) did a double spend. This means that although he sent you some money with high fee, he sent THE SAME money somewhere else with even higher fee. The transaction "to somewhere else" was confirmed and became the real one. Yours.. not.

Since the source wallet is now empty, I think that you won't get any money...

I contacted the seller and he said I need to keep waiting for a few days, the bitcoin will arrive eventually. What happens if I keep waiting? Will the bitcoin be released when he loads more bitcoin to his wallet?

[mocacinno]

It looks like your seller double spent the inputs for this unconfirmed transaction... If he used a higher fee in the double spend transaction, chances are slim this transaction will ever be confirmed...

Also, the input for this transaction seems to be unconfirmed....

Loads of red flags for this one... I didn't dig to deep, but it looks rather suspicious to me (altough, it might still be OK, in case the seller just did a RBF), it's just a big web of double spending unconfirmed transactions, using unconfirmed outputs as inputs, higher fees, lower fees,...

[rickymartin]

It looks like your seller double spent the inputs for this unconfirmed transaction... If he used a higher fee in the double spend transaction, chances are slim this transaction will ever be confirmed...

Also, the input for this transaction seems to be unconfirmed....

Loads of red flags for this one... I didn't dig to deep, but it looks rather suspicious to me (altough, it might still be OK, in case the seller just did a RBF), it's just a big web of double spending unconfirmed transactions, using unconfirmed outputs as inputs, higher fees, lower fees,...

Thanks, now the seller says that he will resend the btc if the transaction disappears from blockchain. Will it happen in a few days?
I can't understand why the transaction is not picked up when the transaction fee is higher than standard.

[mocacinno]

Thanks, now the seller says that he will resend the btc if the transaction disappears from blockchain. Will it happen in a few days?
I can't understand why the transaction is not picked up when the transaction fee is higher than standard.

I guess it'll be dropped by most nodes in a couple of days, however, there are no guarantees...
The transaction wasn't included into a block because of two main reasons: the sender used unconfirmed inputs to create new transactions and he doublespent the inputs.
The first problem would have caused a delay, since your transaction wouldn't be included into a block before all previous transactions were included. Also, some nodes might have rejected your transaction if it was received before they received the transaction it depended on.
The second problem would cause the miners to prefer the transaction with the highest fee in their blocks, this would cause the inputs for the transaction using the same input to be removed from the UTXO set, voiding the other transaction... This would not cause a delay, but it would technically "cancel" one of the two transactions... If the transaction with an output that could be spent by your address was cancelled, you would never receive the funds in your wallet (it's a bit more complex technically, but this would be the end result for the end user)

BTW, I didn't try to do the complete jigsaw puzzle the sender created, but it looks to me that it wasn't the input for your unconfirmed transaction that was double spent, but the input for the transaction whose output was used as input for a second transaction whose output was used as an input for your transaction:

9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651
depends on unconfirmed outputs from
715bc1da4487fd61b26bc07884aa2ecd44573b59528ef4d241b5a1f331d7d575
but this tx depends on unconfirmed outputs from
9e08f2313333a1dd6c33ba072fc689b2eb835388235879f32d1035fb496c72ed
but the inputs for this transaction were also double spent in tx
4cd62159dfe625b37dd983188877e227538a966b25b9cda955d0f712c74d2c93
AAND 9e08f2313333a1dd6c33ba072fc689b2eb835388235879f32d1035fb496c72ed also depends on unconfirmed outpus from
380ddd66e043689533b2d0dd9ae83263d35fcd10c61c40d9366938c0a31dc3b7
but this tx depends on unconfirmed outputs from
2fa23d204b7c35b7cdfc7f801a39f5c37363d17608d0d7ac6525fbe70db0549d
but this tx depends on unconfirmed outputs from
4d29369930444b50476b32acb4496711f15ecfa347b398c65748c86e1716bfa4
but the inputs for this transaction were also double spent in 3 seperate tx's:
65394cdd6d400b9a21893ff39e641cdb93782dcf6b51ec8c6e7e6c5d28b60e91
ecdde1e67aecc2a89f2d7cd889a7947de916ac80dc35ed62645523fa7b4e2c96
a4252c59126a617fe3760af75f0cd429c02a8256d5cb71d7f1d5273920ee606c

long story short: since one of the last 3 transactions seems to be confirmed, it seems to be impossible for your transaction to ever be confirmed... Unless i missed something while unraveling the jiggsaw puzzle...
Just hope i'm mistaking, or hope the nodes will drop your tx and ask them to resend the funds...

And on a personal level, i would avoid someone that created transaction loops and so many double spends... Unless they have a good explanation for doing so... But that's just my personal opinion...

[NeuroticFish]

I contacted the seller and he said I need to keep waiting for a few days, the bitcoin will arrive eventually. What happens if I keep waiting? Will the bitcoin be released when he loads more bitcoin to his wallet?

This is a lie. That transaction cannot arrive anymore, it's inputs were already spent elsewhere.

Thanks, now the seller says that he will resend the btc if the transaction disappears from blockchain. Will it happen in a few days?

I hope for you he will not lie this time. Good luck!
Edit: chain.so and blocktrail don't have your tx, I guess it will be dropped soon.

I can't understand why the transaction is not picked up when the transaction fee is higher than standard.

There are quite some ways to make a transaction get "delayed" (unconfirmed inputs) or "picked faster" (unusually high fee, child-pay-for-parent).


This is not important however. The important part is to never trust a "transaction" that is not confirmed.

[DannyHamilton]

Looking at transaction 9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651, I see it sends 0.99751243 BTC to 1FnH3or6ont7BC3hogXCujEkk4wxJVYSaS on 2017-04-25 at 15:27:19 UTC

I assume this is the payment to you?

Your transaction is unconfirmed, because it is funded by 2.86319308 BTC which were received by the sender on 2017-04-25 at 15:26:59 UTC 19kTSDoNoVUEwKBwZMu7gxfhughu8YWXMG in UNCONFIRMED transaction 715bc1da4487fd61b26bc07884aa2ecd44573b59528ef4d241b5a1f331d7d575

Your transaction can't confirm until this earlier transaction confirms.

That earlier transaction is unconfirmed, because it is funded by 3.14231508 BTC which were received by the sender on 2017-04-25 at 15:26:24 UTC at 19kTSDoNoVUEwKBwZMu7gxfhughu8YWXMG in UNCONFIRMED  transaction 9e08f2313333a1dd6c33ba072fc689b2eb835388235879f32d1035fb496c72ed

Neither of the two earlier transactions can confirm until this even earlier transaction confirms.

That earlier transaction is unconfirmed, because it is funded by 5.20329366 BTC which were received by the sender on 2017-04-25 at 15:17:19 UTC at 19kTSDoNoVUEwKBwZMu7gxfhughu8YWXMG in UNCONFIRMED transaction 380ddd66e043689533b2d0dd9ae83263d35fcd10c61c40d9366938c0a31dc3b7

None of the three earlier transactions can confirm until this even earlier transaction confirms.

That earlier transaction is unconfirmed, because it is funded by 5.80381566 BTC which were received by the sender on 2017-04-25 at 15:14:17 UTC at 19kTSDoNoVUEwKBwZMu7gxfhughu8YWXMG in UNCONFIRMED transaction 2fa23d204b7c35b7cdfc7f801a39f5c37363d17608d0d7ac6525fbe70db0549d

None of the four earlier transactions can confirm until this even earlier transaction confirms.

That earlier transaction is unconfirmed, because it is funded by7.20333766 BTC which were received by the sender on 2017-04-25 at 15:13:53 UTC at 19kTSDoNoVUEwKBwZMu7gxfhughu8YWXMG in UNCONFIRMED transaction 4d29369930444b50476b32acb4496711f15ecfa347b398c65748c86e1716bfa4

None of the five earlier transactions can confirm until this even earlier transaction confirms.

That earlier transaction (4d29369930444b50476b32acb4496711f15ecfa347b398c65748c86e1716bfa4) WILL NEVER CONFIRM, because it is INVALIDLY funded by 7.66883446 BTC which were already used to fund a different CONFIRMED transaction (a4252c59126a617fe3760af75f0cd429c02a8256d5cb71d7f1d5273920ee606c).  That competing transaction was confirmed on 2017-04-26 at 01:11:43 UTC.

Since transaction a4252c59126a617fe3760af75f0cd429c02a8256d5cb71d7f1d5273920ee606c is confirmed, it is IMPOSSIBLE for transaction 4d29369930444b50476b32acb4496711f15ecfa347b398c65748c86e1716bfa4 to EVER confirm.

Since it is IMPOSSIBLE for transaction 4d29369930444b50476b32acb4496711f15ecfa347b398c65748c86e1716bfa4 to EVER confirm, it is IMPOSSIBLE for ANY of the transactions that depend on it for funding to EVER confirm.  That includes your transaction 9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651.

Therefore, your transaction (9cda22d989dbfe2b2b5ee358b72a555b50115d1b5ce7dc2b13971f3225f15651) is an invalid transaction.

Full nodes do not keep invalid transactions in their mempool. Therefore all full nodes that are properly synchronized will have already dropped your transaction from their mempool. The network has rejected and forgotten about your invalid transaction.  The blockchain.info site continues to show the transaction history so that investigations like this can be accomplished, but the fact that the transaction still shows up on their website is not an indication that the transaction is valid or that the network still knows about it.

If the sender did this on purpose then they are a scammer attempting to steal money from you.

If the sender's wallet did this without their knowledge, then they are using VERY POORLY written wallet software. They should stop using that wallet and choose better written wallet software. Then they need to send you a new transaction.

Good Luck. I hope you weren't scammed.

[rickymartin]

Thanks all for the analysis. It helps me clarify a lot since this is just my first transaction.
And the seller sent me the bitcoin again and it got confirmed within 5 minutes. He said it was the fault of Bitcoin network, something wrong happened in the last few days.

[mocacinno]

Thanks all for the analysis. It helps me clarify a lot since this is just my first transaction.
And the seller sent me the bitcoin again and it got confirmed within 5 minutes. He said it was the fault of Bitcoin network, something wrong happened in the last few days.

I'm happy for you that things got resolved, but the explanation the sender gave you doesn't seem right...
There was/is nothing *wrong* with the network... He just created a chain of unconfirmed transactions, and then started double spending outputs he already used as input for different transactions... This is an error made by the sender, or at least by his wallet... He shouldn't try to pass the blame to the protocol, he should just admit he was using an old wallet, or some buggy software that used json-rpc querys to bitcoind that went haywire, or maybe he was testing some stuff or something.
Just my opinion tough.

[magneto]

Thanks all for the analysis. It helps me clarify a lot since this is just my first transaction.
And the seller sent me the bitcoin again and it got confirmed within 5 minutes. He said it was the fault of Bitcoin network, something wrong happened in the last few days.

Thankfully you got your coins back.

Did you deal on the forum or on localbitcoins? You should report him to the staff on Localbitcoins or write a scam accusation on the forum as soon as possible because he probably will try the same trick on someone else soon.

It is definitely an intentional double spend. Don't listen to his bitcoin network bug bullcrap.

[superiorus]

Thanks all for the analysis. It helps me clarify a lot since this is just my first transaction.
And the seller sent me the bitcoin again and it got confirmed within 5 minutes. He said it was the fault of Bitcoin network, something wrong happened in the last few days.

Good to see you finally got your coins.
Since it was your first transaction, we can say: welcome in the bitcoin world!
A first positive experince is a good start point in this world.
Good luck in the future!

PS: do you plan to buy Bitcoins regularly, or it was just one time buy?