Bitcoin mining pool AntPool has recently made headlines, not for its mining prowess, but for its unexpected decision to refund a staggering $3 million transaction fee. This unprecedented move, however, comes with a caveat – the recipient must verify their identity before December 10, 2023.
related: Bitcoin Transaction Fees Soar as User Pays $3.1 Million for a Single 139 BTC Transfer
The Costly Mistake
In a recent transaction in block 818,087, an error led to the payment of an extraordinary 83.65 BTC fee, equivalent to $3.1 million. The intended transaction was a modest 55.77 BTC, turning this incident into a record-breaking event for the largest fee in US dollars for a single Bitcoin transaction.
related: Bitcoin Mining Gets Even Tougher: Block 818,496 Brings 5.07% Difficulty Increase
The Claim of Victimhood
Adding a layer of complexity to the situation, a user known as “83_5BTC” surfaced, claiming to be the victim of this exorbitant fee. Allegedly, the fee resulted from a hack on their wallet. However, suspicions arose when the user swiftly transferred the remaining funds of 139 BTC to a new cold wallet. This has raised questions about the legitimacy of the claim and the possibility of the attacker exploiting the compromised wallet to provide ownership proof.
AntPool’s Response and Risk Control
Faced with this intricate situation, AntPool activated its risk control system, resulting in the temporary freezing of the fee. To proceed with the refund, AntPool now requires the affected user to undergo identity verification using tools such as Electrum or Bitcoin Core. This step aims to ensure the legitimate owner reclaims the funds.
A Growing Trend
Surprisingly, this incident is not an isolated case. In September, Paxos, a prominent crypto services provider, mistakenly paid a 20 BTC transaction fee due to a bug in a single transfer. Such errors, often termed as “fat finger” mistakes, have become a recurring theme in the crypto space.
Community Reactions and Discussions
The AntPool incident has reignited discussions within the crypto community. Previously, in response to a similar situation involving Paxos, F2Pool co-founder Chun Wang expressed regret over refunding the fee. Cosmos developer “chjango.cosmos” even suggested a 50/50 split between Paxos and the network miners.
Field | Value |
---|---|
Transaction Fee | $3 million |
Bitcoin Amount | 83.65 BTC |
Intended Amount | 55.77 BTC |
Block Number | 818,087 |
Date for Identity Verification | December 10, 2023 |
Paxos Transaction Fee | 20 BTC |