This guide explains Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC in plain English. It shows what the command does, what its result means and what it cannot prove.
TL;DR
- What it is: Bitcoin Core 0.16.0 settxfee set a fixed wallet transaction fee per kilobyte and overwrote the paytxfee parameter. The amount was BTC/kB, not total transaction fee or satoshis per virtual byte.
- Why it matters: settxfee is a wallet-wide fixed fee-policy override. Safe use demands exact unit conversion, transaction-level fee previews, bounded duration and verified restoration of the intended estimator strategy.
- Current position: Require a second reviewer and explicit rollback or expiry, and pause payments, signing or network-dependent services until post-change evidence is complete.
Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC in simple English
Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC: A fixed rate bypasses or supersedes dynamic estimation paths in relevant wallet sends. It cannot adapt to rapid fee-market changes.
Simple example
A miner is checking Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC. Restore intended fee policy after the event and verify new transactions, not just the configuration field. Use only under a documented reason with maximum total fee controls.
Key terms in plain English
- Bitcoin Core:
- Widely used software that validates Bitcoin and can provide wallet, network and operator tools.
- RPC:
- A command that software sends to a node to request information or a local action.
- Mempool:
- A node’s changing local collection of valid, unconfirmed transactions.
- Node:
- A computer running Bitcoin software that checks data and communicates with other peers.
Historical units
Interpret amount as BTC per kilobyte under the historical wallet interface. Convert using exact decimal arithmetic and clearly distinguish kB, vB and total fee. Unit mistakes can cause severe underpayment or overpayment.
Configuration override
The call overwrites paytxfee for subsequent wallet behaviour. Capture the previous getwalletinfo value and intended estimator policy. Do not make an incident workaround permanent by accident.
Fixed versus estimated
A fixed rate bypasses or supersedes dynamic estimation paths in relevant wallet sends. It cannot adapt to rapid fee-market changes. Use only under a documented reason with maximum total fee controls.
Transaction-size effect
Absolute fee depends on the funded transaction size and coin selection. A seemingly modest rate can produce a large fee for many inputs. Preview or fund and decode representative transactions before approval.
Dust and relay floors
Too-low settings may still be constrained by relay or wallet policy and can yield slow or rejected transactions. Fee-rate acceptance does not guarantee confirmation. Monitor mempool floors and replacement options.
Rollback and governance
Record owner, expiry and prior value. Restore intended fee policy after the event and verify new transactions, not just the configuration field. Restrict access and alert on unexpected changes.
How specialists test it
Operators test the command on a non-production node first. They check a normal reply, an invalid request, a timeout and a restart. This shows what the response means and prevents one local result from being mistaken for a network-wide outcome.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main point of Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC?
Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC: A fixed rate bypasses or supersedes dynamic estimation paths in relevant wallet sends.
For Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC, what should a beginner know about historical units?
Interpret amount as BTC per kilobyte under the historical wallet interface. Convert using exact decimal arithmetic and clearly distinguish kB, vB and total fee.
For Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC, what should a beginner know about configuration override?
The call overwrites paytxfee for subsequent wallet behaviour. Capture the previous getwalletinfo value and intended estimator policy.
For Bitcoin Core settxfee RPC, what should a beginner know about fixed versus estimated?
A fixed rate bypasses or supersedes dynamic estimation paths in relevant wallet sends.
Conclusion
settxfee is a wallet-wide fixed fee-policy override. Safe use demands exact unit conversion, transaction-level fee previews, bounded duration and verified restoration of the intended estimator strategy.
Primary sources
Check the current specification status and the documentation for the exact implementation you operate before moving production funds or changing a mining node.
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