Bitcoin

Parallel

As the primary holding area for unconfirmed <a href="https://cryptoslate.com/coins/bitcoin/">Bitcoin</a> transactions, the mempool offers vital insights into the network’s operational status. 
High fees within the mempool typically signal increased network activity and potential congestion, impacting transaction processing times and user costs. There has been a notable increase in both the number of transactions and the total size of transactions in the Bitcoin mempool throughout November. 
From late October to mid-November 2023, the number of transactions swelled from 13,778 to 165,829, while the total transaction size escalated from 45.3 million to 81.5 million virtual bytes, eventually decreasing to 50 million. This correlation signifies heightened network usage and congestion, leading to longer wait times for transaction confirmations. 
<figure id="attachment_374832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-374832" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
 <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-374832" src="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november.png" alt="bitcoin mempool transaction size and count november" width="1800" height="1013" srcset="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november.png 1800w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november-300x169.png 300w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november-768x432.png 768w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-transaction-size-and-count-november-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-374832" class="wp-caption-text">
 Graph showing the total number of transactions and the total size of transactions in the Bitcoin mempool from Oct. 17 to Nov. 17, 2023 (Source: Glassnode)
 </figcaption>
</figure> 
Another uptick was observed in the median and average transaction fees within the mempool. The average fee jumped from 14.85 BTC to 207.6 BTC, and the median fee increased from 11.8 BTC to 195.6 BTC over the same period. These figures reflect the growing cost burden on Bitcoin users, especially during peak activity periods. 
<figure id="attachment_374833" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-374833" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
 <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-374833" src="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo.png" alt="bitcoin mempool median relative fee 3mo" width="1800" height="1013" srcset="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo.png 1800w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo-300x169.png 300w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo-768x432.png 768w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-mempool-median-relative-fee-3mo-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-374833" class="wp-caption-text">
 Graph showing the median relative fee of transactions waiting in the Bitcoin mempool from Aug. 20 to Nov. 17, 2023 (Source: <a href="https://studio.glassnode.com/metrics?a=BTC&amp;c=native&amp;m=mempool.FeesMedianRelative&amp;s=1692444959&amp;u=1700224559&amp;zoom=90">Glassnode</a>)
 </figcaption>
</figure> 
Diving deeper, Glassnode data reveals significant insights into the total amount of fees across different relative fee cohorts, measured in Satoshis per virtual byte (Sat/vByte). The distribution of fees across various brackets like 10-50 and 5-7 Sat/vByte indicate a wide range of transactions, from small-scale transfers to high-value exchanges. 
Particularly noteworthy is the presence of transactions in the 50+ bracket, showing that some users were willing to pay premium fees for faster processing, a testament to the urgency or importance of these transactions. 
<figure id="attachment_374834" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-374834" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
 <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-374834" src="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee.png" alt="total amount of txs mempool relative fee" width="1800" height="1013" srcset="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee.png 1800w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee-300x169.png 300w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee-768x432.png 768w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/total-amount-of-txs-mempool-relative-fee-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-374834" class="wp-caption-text">
 Graph showing the total amount of fees of transactions waiting in the mempool in different relative fee (Sat / vByte) cohorts from Oct. 17 to Nov. 17, 2023 (Source: <a href="https://studio.glassnode.com/metrics?a=BTC&amp;c=native&amp;category=Mempool&amp;m=mempool.FeesDistribution&amp;s=1697629986&amp;u=1700225586&amp;zoom=30">Glassnode</a>)
 </figcaption>
</figure> 
Parallel to this, each fee bracket’s total number of transactions paints a picture of user behavior under varying network conditions. The concentration of transactions in lower fee brackets suggests a preference for cost efficiency. In contrast, the fewer, high-fee transactions imply a willingness among a smaller group of users to prioritize speed over cost. 
<figure id="attachment_374835" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-374835" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
 <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-374835" src="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo.png" alt="transaction count by relative fee 1mo" width="1800" height="1013" srcset="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo.png 1800w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo-300x169.png 300w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo-768x432.png 768w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/transaction-count-by-relative-fee-1mo-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-374835" class="wp-caption-text">
 Graph showing the total number of transactions waiting in the mempool in different relative fee (Sat / vByte) cohorts from Oct. 17 to. Nov. 17, 2023 (Source: <a href="https://studio.glassnode.com/metrics?a=BTC&amp;category=Mempool&amp;m=mempool.TxsCountDistribution&amp;s=1697630009&amp;u=1700225609&amp;zoom=30">Glassnode</a>)
 </figcaption>
</figure> 
Inscription fees have grown substantially since the beginning of November – from 0.8 BTC to 122.4 BTC. This increase, in tandem with the general hike in transaction fees, signifies a growing financial burden on users engaging in these specific transaction types. 
<figure id="attachment_374836" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-374836" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
 <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-374836" src="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo.png" alt="inscription fees 3mo" width="1800" height="1013" srcset="https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo.png 1800w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo-300x169.png 300w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo-768x432.png 768w, https://cryptoslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/inscription-fees-3mo-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-374836" class="wp-caption-text">
 Graph showing the fees associated with Bitcoin transactions that include inscriptions from Aug. 20 to Nov. 17, 2023 (Source: <a href="https://studio.glassnode.com/metrics?a=BTC&amp;category=Inscriptions&amp;m=transactions.InscriptionsFee&amp;s=1692446117&amp;u=1700225717&amp;zoom=90">Glassnode</a>)
 </figcaption>
</figure> 
The market implications of these trends are profound. For one, the <a href="https://cryptoslate.com/insights/bitcoin-miners-revenue-increasingly-fueled-by-transaction-fees-amid-token-inscription-surge/">surge</a> in inscription fees emerges as a significant driver of the overall fee increase. This phenomenon points to a rising demand for specific transaction types. Furthermore, the escalation in fees and mempool congestion could deter potential users, push current users to seek alternatives, or forego using the network entirely, potentially affecting Bitcoin’s market position. 
The post <a href="https://cryptoslate.com/mempool-overload-leads-to-increasing-bitcoin-transactions-costs/">Mempool overload leads to skyrocketing Bitcoin transaction costs</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cryptoslate.com">CryptoSlate</a>.

Mempool overload leads to skyrocketing Bitcoin transaction costs

CryptoSlate

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