Unstick a Stuck Bitcoin Transaction
How to unstick a stuck Bitcoin transaction โ use RBF (BIP-125) for a fee bump, or CPFP if RBF wasn't enabled. Nodes drop unconfirmed tx after 14 days.
Updated June 2026 ยท Reviewed by the PipeFlare team
Use RBF to rebroadcast with a higher fee, or CPFP if RBF was not enabled on the original transaction
A stuck transaction was broadcast at a sat/vB too low for current demand. Both fixes pay miners enough to include it in the next block.
Read the official source โCategory
Stuck transaction
Recoverability
Often recoverable
What you need
The transaction ID, the wallet that sent it, and enough sats to cover the fee bump at the current next-block sat/vB rate on mempool.space
Time window
Anytime before the transaction confirms โ but Bitcoin Core nodes drop it from the mempool after 336 hours (14 days), at which point the inputs become spendable again
About this situation
A stuck Bitcoin transaction is one you broadcast with a fee rate (sat/vB) too low for current network demand. Miners pick the highest-paying transactions first, so yours sits in the mempool waiting. You have two standard tools to unstick it. Replace-by-Fee (RBF, BIP-125) lets you rebroadcast the same transaction with a higher fee. Child-Pays-For-Parent (CPFP) sends a new high-fee transaction that spends the stuck transaction's change output. The funds are not lost โ they are pending.
How it actually works
RBF only works if the original transaction signaled it was replaceable. Under BIP-125 that means at least one input had an nSequence value below 0xffffffff - 1 (most wallets use 0xfffffffd). If RBF was not signaled, CPFP is the fallback. Miners evaluate a parent and its child together using the ancestor fee rate: the sum of fees divided by the sum of vbytes. A high-fee child drags a low-fee parent into the next block. Bitcoin Core also drops any unconfirmed transaction from its mempool after 336 hours (14 days) by default, after which the inputs become spendable again.
Step by step
- 1Open mempool.space and paste your transaction ID to confirm it is still unconfirmed.
- 2Check the current next-block sat/vB rate on mempool.space โ that is your target.
- 3In your wallet, use the RBF or Bump Fee button if the transaction was sent with RBF enabled.
- 4If RBF was not enabled, use CPFP โ spend the unconfirmed change output in a new transaction with a high enough fee to lift the package above the next-block rate.
What works in your favor
- RBF and CPFP are standard Bitcoin protocol features, not vendor tricks.
- The funds are safe in the mempool the whole time โ nothing is lost.
- If neither fix works, Bitcoin Core nodes drop the transaction after 14 days and the inputs become spendable again.
Watch out for
- RBF only works if the original transaction signaled replaceability via the sequence number.
- CPFP requires you to own an unconfirmed output of the stuck transaction โ usually the change.
- Bidding far above the current next-block rate does not buy faster confirmation โ miners only pick highest-paying-first per block.
Common questions
What is RBF in Bitcoin?
RBF stands for Replace-by-Fee, defined in BIP-125. It lets you replace a stuck transaction with a new version that pays a higher fee. The original must have signaled replaceability by setting at least one input's sequence number below 0xffffffff - 1, which most modern wallets do by default.
What if RBF was not enabled?
Use Child-Pays-For-Parent (CPFP) instead. Send a new transaction that spends an unconfirmed output of the stuck one โ usually the change output coming back to your wallet. Miners look at the combined fee rate of parent plus child and confirm both together.
How long until a stuck Bitcoin transaction drops from the mempool?
Bitcoin Core's default mempool expiry is 336 hours, which is 14 days. After that, the node forgets the transaction and the inputs are spendable again. Other nodes use the same default, so in practice the network drops the transaction around the two-week mark.
Will rebroadcasting the same transaction help?
No. The transaction is already in mempools across the network. Rebroadcasting it with the same fee changes nothing โ miners are skipping it because the fee rate is too low, not because they have not seen it.
What sat/vB should I bump to?
Open mempool.space, look at the next-block fee rate, and bid at or just above it. Going far higher does not get you confirmed faster than one block, because miners fill each block highest-paying-first and stop there. Pay only enough to clear the marginal transaction in the next block.
What does '1 confirmation' mean and when is a stuck transaction safe?
A confirmation is one block mined on top of the block that includes your transaction. Zero confirmations means the transaction is still in the mempool, unconfirmed. One confirmation means it landed in the most recent block. Most wallet-to-wallet transfers are safe after 1 confirmation for small amounts. Exchanges typically require 3 to 6 confirmations before crediting a deposit. Your stuck transaction will show 0 confirmations until it is confirmed, replaced via RBF, or dropped after 14 days.
Sources
Other recovery guides
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