PayPal Faces Costly Error in Bitcoin Transaction Fee
In a surprising turn of events, global online payments giant PayPal has reportedly overpaid a staggering $510,750 on a Bitcoin transaction fee. The incident, initially thought to be a “fat-fingered” mistake, has now been traced back to an issue within PayPal’s processing system, according to a report by Mempool’s Mononautical. This is the largest fee ever paid for a Bitcoin transaction in dollar terms.
The investigation into the colossal overpayment, which drew widespread attention when it was first reported, has led to some unexpected discoveries. The overpaid fee was sent from a hot wallet using the address “bc1qr3…zpw3,” which commenced operations in June earlier this year. On-chain activity associated with this address indicates automated processing of fiat-denominated withdrawals, closely resembling the behavior of an inactive wallet labeled as PayPal on oxt.me, specifically “bc1qhs…kx4n.” The Bitcoin transaction fees are typically determined by market demand and network congestion. They can vary significantly, but a fee exceeding $500,000 for such a small transaction is considered highly unusual.
The transition from the old wallet to the new “bc1qr3…zpw3” wallet can be distinctly observed on-chain through an intermediate address, “bc1qlm…yvaf,” adding further evidence to the software bug theory.
“To confirm this finding, actual known PayPal withdrawals were traced on-chain, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the issue likely originated from within PayPal’s management system,” said Mononautical. “All evidence now points to a software bug like this as the cause of the error. I really feel for the developer who wrote that code – it’s such an easy mistake to make, and it should have been caught in review.”
Furthermore, the entire system was running “completely unmonitored,” as PayPal failed to notice or halt the erroneous withdrawals for nearly 24 hours. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for meticulous attention to detail and vigilant oversight when conducting Bitcoin transactions, especially when handling large sums of money.
This costly error highlights the importance of robust systems and thorough monitoring in the world of cryptocurrency transactions. As PayPal works to recoup the funds and rectify the situation, it serves as a cautionary tale for other companies and individuals engaging in Bitcoin transactions.
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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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