How to Clear Stuck Bitcoin Transactions from the Mempool

• DATE: 29 01 26
• BY: Stellan Marwick

Ever sent a Bitcoin transaction and watched it sit there for hours-maybe days-without moving? You’re not alone. It’s frustrating, confusing, and sometimes scary. You paid the fee, you hit send, and now your coins are just... stuck. But here’s the truth: stuck Bitcoin transactions aren’t lost. They’re just waiting. And with the right tools, you can clear them-fast.

What’s Actually Happening in the Mempool?

The Bitcoin mempool isn’t a physical place. It’s a digital holding area on every full node in the network. When you send Bitcoin, your transaction sits here, waiting for a miner to pick it up and include it in the next block. Miners choose transactions based on one thing: fee per byte. Higher fees = higher priority. Simple as that.

Under normal conditions, a Bitcoin transaction confirms in about 10 minutes. But when the network gets busy-during a price spike, a big exchange withdrawal, or a major news event-thousands of transactions pile up. Those with low fees get pushed to the back of the line. Some get stuck for 24, 48, even 72 hours. Most nodes will drop them after 72 hours, but others keep them for up to 14 days. That’s why you might still see a transaction hanging around even after a week.

The key? You didn’t do anything wrong. You just didn’t pay enough.

Method 1: Replace-by-Fee (RBF)

If you’re the sender and your wallet supports RBF, this is your fastest, cleanest option. RBF lets you replace your stuck transaction with a new one that has a higher fee. The original transaction gets canceled automatically when the new one confirms.

Not all wallets support RBF. Electrum does-on desktop and Android. Exodus supports it too. But iOS wallets like BlueWallet or Blockstream Green? They don’t. That’s why many users switch to Electrum desktop for this exact reason.

Here’s how to use RBF in Electrum:

1. Open your wallet and go to the History tab.
2. Right-click the stuck transaction and select “Replace by fee.”
3. Electrum will show you the current network fee rate. Use mempool.space to check what the average fee is right now. Aim for at least 10-20% higher than that.
4. Set your new fee. You can choose to send the same amount to the original recipient-or send it back to your own wallet. Sending it back to yourself cancels the original intent, which is useful if you changed your mind.
5. Click “Replace” and broadcast the new transaction.

Confirmation usually takes 10 to 30 minutes if your new fee is competitive. The trick? Don’t just bump it a little. If the network is congested, you need to outbid the crowd.

Method 2: Child Pays for Parent (CPFP)

What if you didn’t use RBF? Or your wallet doesn’t support it? Or you’re not the sender? That’s where CPFP comes in.

CPFP lets someone who received the stuck transaction-say, a merchant or a friend-create a new transaction that spends the unconfirmed output. They add a high fee to that new transaction, which incentivizes miners to confirm both the original (parent) and the new (child) transaction together.

This method is powerful because it gives the receiver control. You don’t need the sender’s cooperation. You just need access to the unconfirmed output.

Example: You sent 0.1 BTC to a friend, but the fee was too low. Your friend can create a new transaction sending 0.09 BTC to themselves and 0.01 BTC as fee. That 0.01 BTC fee is applied to the entire chain: your original transaction + their new one. Miners see the combined fee rate and are happy to confirm both.

To use CPFP:

1. Find the unconfirmed transaction ID using a block explorer like mempool.space.
2. Open your wallet and create a new transaction spending that unconfirmed output.
3. Set the fee high enough to make the combined fee rate attractive. A good rule: aim for 3-5 satoshis per byte on the child transaction.
4. Send it. Wait 10-60 minutes.

CPFP works best when the receiver has a wallet that lets them manually set fees. Most desktop wallets support this. Mobile wallets? It’s hit or miss.

Method 3: Transaction Accelerators

If you don’t want to mess with fees or wallet settings, you can pay a third party to speed things up. Services like Bitaccelerate, Mempool Accelerator, or BTC.com’s accelerator let you pay a small fee (usually $5-$20) to get your transaction prioritized.

These services work by connecting directly to mining pools. They don’t change your transaction-they just tell miners, “Hey, this one’s paid for. Put it in the next block.”

But here’s the catch: not all accelerators are reliable. Some guarantee confirmation within 2 hours. Others say “best effort.” Some only work during off-peak hours. And if the network is jammed, even paid accelerators might not help.

Use accelerators only if:

• You need confirmation fast (e.g., for an exchange deposit with a deadline)
• You’re not tech-savvy
• You’re willing to pay extra

Always check reviews. Avoid services that ask for your private key. Legit accelerators only need your transaction ID.

Method 4: Wait It Out

Sometimes, the best move is to do nothing.

Most nodes automatically drop transactions after 72 hours. Some wait up to 14 days. Once dropped, your coins are free again. You can rebroadcast the same transaction-with a higher fee-and it’ll go through.

This works especially well during peak congestion. If the network clears overnight, your low-fee transaction might suddenly jump to the front. Many users report transactions confirming hours after they thought they were dead.

Use this method if:

• You’re not in a rush
• You don’t have extra Bitcoin to cover higher fees
• You’re okay with waiting a few days

Just monitor your transaction on mempool.space. If the estimated confirmation time disappears, it’s likely stuck. If it reappears after a few days, it’s clearing.

Method 5: Double-Spend to Cancel

This is the nuclear option-and it’s risky. Some wallets let you create a double-spend: a new transaction that sends the same Bitcoin back to your own wallet, with a much higher fee. If it confirms first, the original transaction becomes invalid.

But here’s the danger: if the original transaction confirms first, you lose your money. You’ve spent it twice. And since Bitcoin is immutable, there’s no undo button.

Only use this if:

• You’re certain the original won’t confirm
• You have enough Bitcoin to cover the double-spend fee
• You’re using a wallet that supports it (Electrum, for example)

Most users avoid this unless they’re desperate. RBF is safer and built for this exact purpose.

How to Avoid Stuck Transactions in the First Place

The best way to clear a stuck transaction? Never get one.

Before sending Bitcoin, always check the current fee rates. Use mempool.space. Look at the “Fee Rates” chart. See what the median fee is for confirmation in the next 1-6 blocks. That’s your target.

Most modern wallets (like Electrum, Sparrow, BlueWallet) now auto-estimate fees. But don’t trust them blindly. During spikes, auto-estimates can be wrong. Manually override them if you see the network is congested.

Also, enable RBF in your wallet settings if it’s available. That way, if things go sideways, you’ve already got a safety net.

Tools You Need

You don’t need fancy software. Just these:

• Mempool.space - The gold standard for real-time mempool data. Shows fee rates, transaction queues, and estimated confirmation times.
• Electrum Wallet - Best for RBF and manual fee control. Free, open-source, and trusted.
• Blockstream Green or Exodus - Good for CPFP and RBF if you’re on desktop.
• Bitcoin Core - For advanced users who want full control over the mempool.

Avoid using mobile wallets for critical transactions unless you know they support RBF or CPFP. Many don’t.

What Doesn’t Work

Don’t try this:

• Re-sending the same transaction without changing the fee. It won’t work. Nodes reject duplicates.
• Using “cancel transaction” buttons in wallets that don’t support RBF. They’re fake. They don’t exist on Bitcoin.
• Waiting forever without checking mempool.space. If your transaction shows no confirmation estimate, it’s likely dead until it expires.

Final Tip: Monitor, Don’t Panic

Stuck transactions are stressful, but they’re not emergencies. Bitcoin is designed to be slow when overloaded. That’s a feature, not a bug.

Check your transaction on mempool.space every 6-12 hours. If it’s still there after 48 hours, act. If it’s gone, great-wait a bit longer. It might reappear when the network clears.

The key is patience, knowledge, and the right tools. You don’t need to be a developer. You just need to know where to look and what to do next.