Bitcoin Miner Returns 19.8 BTC in Fees Mistakenly Paid by Paxos
A Bitcoin miner has returned the 19.8 BTC in fees that it received from blockchain infrastructure firm Paxos. Paxos claimed that it made a mistake by paying over $500,000 in BTC transfer fees. On September 10, the crypto community was astonished to see a BTC transaction that paid such a high fee to move only $2,000, while the average network fee was around $2. Speculations arose regarding the nature of the transaction, with some suggesting that it was an error caused by copy-pasting data.
On September 13, Paxos took responsibility for the transaction and assured its users that their funds remained secure. Paxos clarified that PayPal was not involved and admitted that the error was its own. The Bitcoin miner, after initially expressing frustrations, ultimately agreed to refund the amount to Paxos. Seeking guidance, the miner turned to their followers on X (previously known as Twitter). The majority voted in favor of distributing the money to other Bitcoin miners. However, it appears that this advice was not followed.
Blockchain data obtained from Bitcoin explorer Mempool confirmed that the funds were successfully returned on September 15. Mistakes involving transaction fees have led to significant losses in the past. In 2019, an Ethereum user lost almost $400,000 in ETH due to an error in pasting values. Fortunately, the Ethereum mining pool Sparkpool assisted the user in recovering half of the lost funds.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of double-checking transactions and the potential consequences of human error. With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies, it is crucial for users and infrastructure firms to exercise caution and implement robust security measures.
Please click here to read more about how to balance transparency and privacy in blockchain.
Sources: [source 1], [source 2]
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About the author - J-S Tremblay
I've been involved in the cryptocurrency world since 2016 and trading since 2019. I started Moon and Lambo in 2021. I'm passionate about crypto and love to share my knowledge. I hate bankers and I hope that cryptocurrency will change the financial world for the better. View full profile...
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