AntPool to refund file $3.1M Bitcoin transaction charge after expensive consumer mistake

Bitcoin (BTC) mining pool AntPool stated it might refund 83 BTC, greater than $3 million, an unknown consumer had paid as fuel charges for a transaction, in keeping with a Nov. 30 assertion.

On Nov. 23, StarCrypto Perception reported that BTC block 818,087, mined by AntPool, had seen charges exceeding 85 Bitcoin. Reviews later revealed that one consumer had mistakenly paid 83.6 BTC for a single transaction, setting a brand new file for a transaction charge on the blockchain community.

In its replace, AntPool stated its danger management system detected the exorbitant charge throughout transaction processing, prompting the pool to freeze it quickly. The pool urged the rightful proprietor of the funds to contact them earlier than Dec. 10 to confirm their identification.

AntPool wrote:

“The danger management system of ANTPOOL quickly froze the charge when packaging the transaction. Please contact us earlier than 00:00 (UTC+8) on December 10, 2023 and confirm private identification.”

The mining pool requested that the fund proprietor ought to put together a signing software like Electrum or Bitcoin Core that may be used to signal the message “AntPool” through the non-public key of the BTC handle that despatched the transaction.

The fund proprietor should additionally ship the signed textual content to the mining pool’s help electronic mail handle.

Final week, a claimant, recognized as 83_5BTC, emerged on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).

83_5BTC asserts possession of the pockets that incurred the substantial transaction charge, saying:

“I created a brand new chilly pockets, transferred 139BTC to it and it received transferred out to a different pockets instantly. I can solely think about that somebody was operating a script on that pockets and that the script had a bizarre charge calculation.”

Issues have been raised in regards to the declare’s authenticity, because it might contain a compromised pockets. Nevertheless, the claimant signed a message proving the funds belonged to them.

Notable figures throughout the neighborhood, together with Mempool pseudonymous developer Mononaut, have been capable of confirm this declare independently.