2-month-old transaction still unconfirmed, stuck in mempool

[zabzob]

I have a transaction stuck in the mempool that I sent I little over 2 months ago. According to mempool.space the fee is 4.4 sat/vB. This was for a payment, and when it didn't confirm quickly I used different wallet to send a separate payment with a higher fee, which confirmed quickly. I haven't used the wallet with the stuck transaction since sending it, I've been waiting for it to get purged from the mempool. Now I'm wondering, if I send a new transaction from this wallet, will the stuck transaction get confirmed along with it? I'm trying to avoid this as that would result in paying twice for what the original transaction was meant for (since I sent a new one that confirmed).

Another question is, how long can a transaction stay stuck in the mempool before eventually getting purged?

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[Charles-Tim]

You want to do child-pay-for-prrent (CPFP) so that the transaction that is stuck can get confirmed. Like you know, you will pay extra fee. Also that would be if the stuck transaction has change (in change address).

The transaction has been stuck since 8 weeks or more. Import the seed phrase into Electrum and check if you will be able to see the coin and be able to spend it.

If you coin has not been dropped from mempool, go to Electrum server setting and uncheck it from automatic and change the server one by one manually and resynchronize the wallet each time you are changing the sever and check if you will be able to see and spend the coin in a new transaction each time.

Electrum official site: https://electrum.org/

[Hatchy]

Another question is, how long can a transaction stay stuck in the mempool before eventually getting purged?

usually it takes about 2weeks, 14 days and a total of 336 hours for a transaction to be purged and dropped from the mempool. A possible reason for any further delay before a transaction is dropped, might be due to the time when some full node had received your transaction.

You can read this reply by pooya87

If your node receives transaction A on May 1 you'll drop it on May 15 but if my node comes online on May 4 and receives that transaction I'll drop it on May 18. That means transaction A will remain in my mempool for 4 more days and if during those days any node that doesn't have this tx connects to me and asks for my mempool I'll give transaction A back to them and they'll end up with it in their mempool again.
So technically transactions that are valid will never actually disappear and will always remain out there on bitcoin's network among some nodes.

[zabzob]

You want to do child-pay-for-prrent (CPFP) so that the transaction that is stuck can get confirmed. Like you know, you will pay extra fee. Also that would be if the stuck transaction has change (in change address).

The transaction has been stuck since 8 weeks or more. Import the seed phrase into Electrum and check if you will be able to see the coin and be able to spend it.

If you coin has not been dropped from mempool, go to Electrum server setting and uncheck it from automatic and change the server one by one manually and resynchronize the wallet each time you are changing the sever and check if you will be able to see and spend the coin in a new transaction each time.

Electrum official site: https://electrum.org/

Thanks for the informative reply, I'll try that if the tx doesn't purge soon

[Charles-Tim]

usually it takes about 2weeks, 14 days and a total of 336 hours for a transaction to be purged and dropped from the mempool. A possible reason for any further delay before a transaction is dropped, might be due to the time when some full node had received your transaction.

On Bitcoin Core, it is 14 days, but some node runners may not leave it as default but change it to a longer period. You can change it also on Bitcoin Core. That is why some nodes will also retain the transaction after 14 days.

Thanks for the informative reply, I'll try that if the tx doesn't purge soon

The purging is 4.45 sat/vbyte right now and you said your transaction is 4.4 sat/vbyte. Some node runners can also edit the purging rate to a higher one. Do what I told you to do and you will be able to spend your coins in a new transaction. Your wallet is the reason you are not able to spend the coin in a new transaction.

[zabzob]

Another question is, how long can a transaction stay stuck in the mempool before eventually getting purged?

usually it takes about 2weeks, 14 days and a total of 336 hours for a transaction to be purged and dropped from the mempool. A possible reason for any further delay before a transaction is dropped, might be due to the time when some full node had received your transaction.

You can read this reply by pooya87

If your node receives transaction A on May 1 you'll drop it on May 15 but if my node comes online on May 4 and receives that transaction I'll drop it on May 18. That means transaction A will remain in my mempool for 4 more days and if during those days any node that doesn't have this tx connects to me and asks for my mempool I'll give transaction A back to them and they'll end up with it in their mempool again.
So technically transactions that are valid will never actually disappear and will always remain out there on bitcoin's network among some nodes.

Thanks. Maybe pooya87's post explains what's going on with this stuck tx. Another strange thing about the tx is that it vanished from the mempool for awhile, then returned days later. I actually sent the second payment attempt (which confirmed) from the same wallet, not a different one. (I misremembered that detail in my original post.) I did this because the first transaction had been purged. So now that it's back in the mempool, I'm wondering whether it will be confirmed along with any future transactions I send. For now I'll just keep waiting, don't want to risk it. It's not a high amount, but would rather not waste it if avoidable

[zabzob]

usually it takes about 2weeks, 14 days and a total of 336 hours for a transaction to be purged and dropped from the mempool. A possible reason for any further delay before a transaction is dropped, might be due to the time when some full node had received your transaction.

On Bitcoin Core, it is 14 days, but some node runners may not leave it as default but change it to a longer period. You can change it also on Bitcoin Core. That is why some nodes will also retain the transaction after 14 days.

Thanks for the informative reply, I'll try that if the tx doesn't purge soon

The purging is 4.45 sat/vbyte right now and you said your transaction is 4.4 sat/vbyte. Some node runners can also edit the purging rate to a higher one. Do what I told you to do and you will be able to spend your coins in a new transaction. Your wallet is the reason you are not able to spend the coin in a new transaction.

Got it, thanks

[FatFork]

So now that it's back in the mempool, I'm wondering whether it will be confirmed along with any future transactions I send.

If both transactions consume the same UTXOs, then the unconfirmed transaction is invalid and can never be confirmed (regardless of when it was created or broadcast). It will be dropped from the mempool.

[hosseinimr93]

If you coin has not been dropped from mempool, go to Electrum server setting and uncheck it from automatic and change the server one by one manually and resynchronize the wallet each time you are changing the sever and check if you will be able to see and spend the coin in a new transaction each time.

To add Charles-Tim's reply:

If your transaction is first displayed in electrum and you change the server to find a node which doesn't have your transaction in its mempool, your unconfirmed transaction wouldn't disappear automatically. Your transaction status will change to "local" and you should remove it using right-click menu.

Note that by removing the local transaction, you only remove it from your wallet file, so that you can make broadcast a one.

[BitMaxz]

Thanks. Maybe pooya87's post explains what's going on with this stuck tx. Another strange thing about the tx is that it vanished from the mempool for awhile, then returned days later. I actually sent the second payment attempt (which confirmed) from the same wallet, not a different one. (I misremembered that detail in my original post.) I did this because the first transaction had been purged. So now that it's back in the mempool, I'm wondering whether it will be confirmed along with any future transactions I send. For now I'll just keep waiting, don't want to risk it. It's not a high amount, but would rather not waste it if avoidable

I'm just adding this if you don't know how to perform the suggestion above check the image below to point you to the right direction.


On the Electrum menu go to Tools> Network> uncheck server automatically> then choose any server pointed from this image below right-click then use as a server.



Check them one by one as suggested above until your unconfirmed transaction become local and then delete it.

[Cricktor]

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Does your stuck transaction has RBF enabled? Can your used wallet handle RBF replacements?

You already did your payment with a second transaction which got confirmed. CPFP would only make your first payment get confirmed which you don't want unless the recipient would be compliant to refund this doubled payment. The latter depends if you can contact the recipient and convince him to return it to you (minus transaction fees).

If RBF is possible for your stuck transaction, you could replace the transaction entirely with one that pays enough fee to get confirmed faster and that returns all coins into your own wallet.

How did you choose a fee rate of only 4.4 sat/vbyte? Such a fee rate wouldn't have any chance to get confirmed for many past months and likely also weeks or months in the future. The inscriptions madness prevents drainage of mempools (or whatever shit is filling mempools).

Prior to submitting a transaction make it a habit to check current mempool level and fee rates, e.g. at https://mempool.space, on weekends fees are usually lower than on Mo-Fr.

[Zaguru12]

Does your stuck transaction has RBF enabled? Can your used wallet handle RBF replacements?

You already did your payment with a second transaction which got confirmed. CPFP would only make your first payment get confirmed which you don't want unless the recipient would be compliant to refund this doubled payment. The latter depends if you can contact the recipient and convince him to return it to you (minus transaction fees).

If RBF is possible for your stuck transaction, you could replace the transaction entirely with one that pays enough fee to get confirmed faster and that returns all coins into your own wallet.

The OP seems to be the sender of the transaction from his post I read and that doesn’t put him in the position of doing CPFP, as it is only the recipient with the unconfirmed child can be able to do a CPFP. What OP has is the parent transaction that is yet to get confirmed or purge out and he wishes to spend it in another transaction.

The only option is to do a RBF which will be easier if it was opt in from the initial broadcast of the transaction, but it doesn’t look like it was. Still there is a way to actually replace it because most nodes now have their nodes settings as full RBF and will accept any replacement of transactions but that requires you to connect to that particular node that accept replacement which Charles-Tim post already explained above with electrum wallet by changing the servers.

This way if you broadcast the new transaction even without a RBF initial opt in, all Full RBF nodes will replace it and if the new transaction gets confirmed first then the other non Full RBF nodes will not have any choice but to remove it from their mempool

[hosseinimr93]

Still there is a way to actually replace it because most nodes now have their nodes settings as full RBF and will accept any replacement of transactions but that requires you to connect to that particular node that accept replacement which Charles-Tim post already explained above with electrum wallet by changing the servers.

I feel you misunderstood Charles-Tim.

Charles-Tim suggested trying to connect to different servers, so that OP can find a one that doesn't have the transaction in its mempool and he can broadcast a new transaction.
This has nothing to do with full RBF.

[Zaguru12]

I feel you misunderstood Charles-Tim.

Charles-Tim suggested trying to connect to different servers, so that OP can find a one that doesn't have the transaction in its mempool and he can broadcast a new transaction.
This has nothing to do with full RBF.

Yeah I know, maybe I didn’t put it out well. My Full RBF talk was just to let it known that nodes can replace a transaction without initial having a RBF opt in. And my thoughts were like before the new transaction can broadcasted you need to be connected to a server that has already dropped the transaction as you explained above, so that the full RBF node can just replace the transaction. Or is it possible to just broadcast a new transaction with the old one still visible (not local) on that server? I thought it will be treated as double spending and the broadcasting wouldn’t even go through? If it is possible then he doesn’t needs to switch servers then. He can just broadcast it and the full RBF nodes will replace there’s.

[hosseinimr93]

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If the server you are connected to doesn't have the transaction in its mempool, you can easily make a new transaction.

If the server you are connected to has the transaction in its mempool and that transaction has not been flagged as RBF, electrum doesn't allow you to make a new transaction using the same inputs.
Take note that even if the server you are connected to has enabled full RBF for its node, it's electrum that doesn't allow you to replace the transaction with a new one and to replace the transaction, you first need to remove it from your wallet file.

[LoyceV]

Do you even want the transaction to confirm? In 2 months, Bitcoin's value went up a lot. So depending on what you're paying for, you may be paying too much now. It could also be the service canceled your order by now.
Your transaction even pays less than the Purging limit (currently 6.00 sat/vbyte). RBF shouldn't even matter, but it will depend on the wallet you used.

[Cricktor]

The OP seems to be the sender of the transaction from his post I read and that doesn’t put him in the position of doing CPFP, as it is only the recipient with the unconfirmed child can be able to do a CPFP.

If the stuck transaction has a change output that usually goes back into sender's own wallet, the sender can also make a CPFP with this unconfirmed change output. It doesn't matter if you're sender or recipient of a transaction. What matters is if you can control any of the stuck transaction's outputs to perform CPFP.

But we don't need to talk about CPFP because OP actually doesn't want the stuck transaction to be confirmed. He made a second transaction paying the same recipient and this transaction was already confirmed. Therefore he'd rather want the stuck transaction to become purged/forgotten/totally replaced.

The only option is to do a RBF which will be easier if it was opt in from the initial broadcast of the transaction, but it doesn’t look like it was.

How do you come to the assumption that OP's transaction doesn't have RBF enabled? I don't think OP gave any details about it, but I could've missed something.

There might be enough nodes that already have Full-RBF enabled and from where you broadcast a replacement transaction it needs to be connected to such Full-RBF nodes otherwise your broadcast will be dropped.

[Findingnemo]

RBF or CPFP doesn't allow the output address to be changed so it's not going to be useful for OP. As suggested importing the wallet to Electrum and see if the coins are available for spending, most likely yes considering the fee used is well within the purging limit and 2 month is very long time for any nodes to keep the transactions unless the wallet provider does keep rebroadcasting the transaction again and again until it confirms.

[Cricktor]

CPFP doesn't change the parent transaction in any way, that's granted.

But I remember RBF differently from what you say. With RBF and especially with Full-RBF you can broadcast a replacement transaction that will superseed the existing transaction with additional inputs if you want and completely other outputs if you want that too, as long as you pay a larger fee for the replacement transaction.

It's an accepted double spend that doesn't get dropped by RBF aware nodes and which invalidates the older unconfirmed transaction which is completely replaced by the new one (paying higher fees!).

[Findingnemo]

But I remember RBF differently from what you say. With RBF and especially with Full-RBF you can broadcast a replacement transaction that will superseed the existing transaction with additional inputs if you want and completely other outputs if you want that too, as long as you pay a larger fee for the replacement transaction.

It's an accepted double spend that doesn't get dropped by RBF aware nodes and which invalidates the older unconfirmed transaction which is completely replaced by the new one (paying higher fees!).

That's only possible when you perform Full RBF it allows the user to change any aspect of the transaction and thus include output addresses too but I am not aware of any wallet that has a built in feature to do that, we have to manually sign in the transaction and then broadcast it but with the conventional RBF aka the RBF we see in wallets like electrum where we can only increase the fees and it doesn't allow changing the output address but if we opt out the cancel (double spending) we can change the output address while paying a higher fee than the original transaction.