Bitcoin: What’s the difference between ‘[validation] TransactionAddedToMempool’ and ‘[mempool] AcceptToMemoryPool’ log messages when running debug=1?

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Understanding Bitcoin Core Log Messages

When running Bitcoin core, two specific log messages are displayed on the console during debug mode. These logs provide valuable insight into the operation of the Bitcoin network. In this article, we will dive deeper into the differences between these two log messages and what they indicate when running Bitcoin Core version 28.0 with debug=1.

TransactionAddedToMempool

The first log message is:

[validation] TransactionAddedToMempool

This message is printed by the transaction-validation layer, which is responsible for verifying transactions on the blockchain. The [validation] tag indicates that this message is related to the validation of a transaction.

When a new transaction is added to the mempool (the pool of pending transactions), it goes through various checks, including:

  • Validation: Transactions are verified against multiple rules and conditions, such as checksums, script hashes, and data integrity.
  • Sorting

    Bitcoin: What's the difference between '[validation] TransactionAddedToMempool' and '[mempool] AcceptToMemoryPool' log messages when running debug=1?

    : The transaction is sorted by priority, which determines how quickly it can be broadcast to the network.

If a transaction passes these checks without errors, it is added to the mempool. This process continues until a valid transaction is found or all pending transactions are rejected.

Memory

The second log message is:

[mempool] ...

This message is printed by the mempool-operations layer, which is responsible for managing and manipulating transactions in the mempool. The [mempool] tag indicates that this message is related to mempool operations.

When a transaction is added to the mempool, it may need to:

  • Queued: Wait until it is available for mining.
  • Forked: Become a new fork if the previous one fails or becomes orphaned.
  • Bloom-forked

    : If the transaction has been rejected by the validation layer and is not in a valid state.

These operations are performed to ensure that pending transactions remain active on the network, preventing them from being permanently lost.

Comparison and Conclusion

When running Bitcoin Core version 28.0 with debug=1:

  • The first log message (TransactionAddedToMempool) indicates that a new transaction has been added to the mempool for validation.
  • The second log message (Mempool) shows operations related to the management of transactions in the mempool, including queued, forked, or bloom-forked transactions.

In summary:

  • [validation] TransactionAddedToMempool records the initial addition of a transaction to the mempool for validation purposes.
  • [mempool] ... records transactions that require mempool operations, such as queued, forked, or bloom-forked.

By understanding these log messages and their implications, you can better monitor Bitcoin network activity and optimize its performance when running Bitcoin Core.

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