Topic: If i send my bitcoins to a wrong address, what happens? - page 13. (Read 18063 times)
In a couple of years, with so many coins lost this way, not sure many will be left, since bitcoins are limited to 21 million and losing coins by sending them to wrong address's will keep on happening. Anyone can make a simple mistake copying the address, even though it's easy.
Hi!
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
From the wiki:
"Bitcoin addresses contain a built-in check code, so it's generally not possible to send Bitcoins to a mistyped address. However, if the address is well-formed but no one owns it (or the owner lost their wallet.dat), any coins sent to that address will be lost forever."
If that happens on a regularly basis I might switch to "mine" addresses by creating new ones until I get one of those "forever lost" coins.
While what is stated above is true... there are some other points here.
It is hard to have a typo in an address (from what I read somewhere). If you send to an invalid address, the transaction just fails.
If you mix up your clipboard and send to the wrong, yet valid, address... then you have no recourse as there is no way to get the coins back unless a person holding the private key to that address sends them back to you.
I once overpaid someone using mybitcion... and they were kind enough to give me the extra, so if you can find out who the coins went to, there is a chance.
It is hard to have a typo in an address (from what I read somewhere). If you send to an invalid address, the transaction just fails.
If you mix up your clipboard and send to the wrong, yet valid, address... then you have no recourse as there is no way to get the coins back unless a person holding the private key to that address sends them back to you.
I once overpaid someone using mybitcion... and they were kind enough to give me the extra, so if you can find out who the coins went to, there is a chance.
Hi!
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
From the wiki:
"Bitcoin addresses contain a built-in check code, so it's generally not possible to send Bitcoins to a mistyped address. However, if the address is well-formed but no one owns it (or the owner lost their wallet.dat), any coins sent to that address will be lost forever."
I'm pretty sure they're lost in that case. AFAIK the network doesn't know about addresses that never received anything so there's no way to tell you that the address is invalid. An address could have been created offline and would still be able to get coins. It just has to download the blockchain later to get the transaction information and can then proceed to redeem the coins in new transactions.
What happens?
A random stranger has a really good day, and you lose your coins.
A random stranger has a really good day, and you lose your coins.
Hi!
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?
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