Bitcoin Transaction Error: What It Means and How to Fix It
As a Bitcoin user or enthusiast, you’ve probably encountered the infamous “Transaction Validation Error” error. This issue can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to send or receive Bitcoins online. In this article, we’ll explain what the error means, why it occurs, and provide steps to fix it.
What is a Transaction Validation Error?
When a Bitcoin node (such as a wallet or mining rig) tries to process a transaction, it needs to check certain conditions to make sure the transaction is valid and will be included in the next block. One of these conditions is checking if there are any orphaned transactions on the network.
What does “orphaned” mean?
In Bitcoin terminology, an orphaned transaction is one that has not been associated with a specific wallet or address. This can happen when someone creates a new transaction without associating it with their existing funds or wallets. As a result, the transaction is lost forever and cannot be processed by any node on the network.
Why does this error occur?
When a Bitcoin node encounters an orphaned transaction, it sends a notification to other nodes on the network to help resolve the issue. This process involves creating a new block with all related transactions, including the orphaned one. If the sender does not receive these notifications or does not pool their funds, they could end up out of pocket.
RAWTRANSACTION HEX Example
Here is an example of what a RAWTRANSACTION HEX file might look like in case of an error while checking the transaction:
0x0 ... 76 6f 73 77 65 2e 61 74 68 6c 65 64 79 65 78 70 67 65
01 74 63 8b 08 83 90 04 c1 02 30 00 50 7a 20 46 64 62 69 73 75
00 4e 6c 61 76 65 00 2d 6f 66 72 61 74 68 6b 61 75 79 7a 63 78
01 49 7c 44 29 20 53 69 64 61 70 6e 61 74 65 00 2d 30 39 4f 72
01 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a 63 78 00 58 62 65 74 66 69 79 20 43 6c
02 76 64 6f 62 61 70 77 7b 2d 30 39 4f 72 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a
01 63 78 65 74 66 69 79 20 49 7c 44 29 20 53 69 64 61 70 6e 61
76 65 00 2d 30 39 4f 72 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a 63 78 01 58 62 65
74 66 69 79 20 43 6c 76 64 6f 62 61 70 77 7b 2d 30 39 4f 72 68
73 67 61 75 79 7a 01 63 78 65 74 66 69 79 20 49 7c 44 29 20 53
69 64 61 70 6e 61 76 65 00 2d 30 39 4f 72 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a
01 63 78 65 74 66 69 79 20 49 7c 44 29 20 53 69 64 61 70 6e 61
76 65 00 2d 30 39 4f 72 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a 63 78 01 58 62 65
74 66 69 79 20 43 6c 76 64 6f 62 61 70 77 7b 2d 30 39 4f 72 68
73 67 61 75 79 7a 01 63 78 65 74 66 69 79 20 49 7c 44 29 20 53
69 64 61 70 6e 61 76 65 00 2d 30 39 4f 72 68 73 67 61 75 79 7a
Fixing the Error
To resolve this error, you need to link the transaction to a wallet or address. Here are the steps:
- Link Your Funds: Go to your wallet and transfer your coins to the new address.
- Update Transaction: Make sure you have updated the transaction with the new linked funds.
- Check for Abandoned Transactions: If you are still having issues, check your account for any abandoned transactions. You can do this by checking the “Unconfirmed Transactions” tab or by using the built-in functionality of a third-party wallet.
By following these steps and troubleshooting with a sample transaction HEX file, you should be able to resolve the transaction validation error: Transaction Abandoned, No Reference (TESTNET) message.
