Understanding Bitcoin Core Log Messages
When running Bitcoin Core, two specific log messages are printed to the console during debug mode. These logs provide valuable insights into the functioning 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 validating transactions on the blockchain. The [validation] tag indicates that this message refers to transaction validation.
When a new transaction is added to the mempool (the pool of pending transactions), it goes through several checks, including:
- Validation: Transactions are validated against various rules and conditions such as checksums, hash scripts, and data integrity.
- Ranking: A transaction is ranked based on its priority, which determines how quickly it can be broadcast to the network.
If the transaction passes these checks without errors, it is added to the mempool. This process continues until a valid transaction is found or until all pending transactions are rejected.
Mempool
The second log message is:
[mempool] ...
This message is printed by the mempool-operations' layer, which is responsible for managing and handling 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 be:
- Queued: Wait until it is available for mining.
- Forked: Become a new fork if the previous one fails or is orphaned.
- Bloom-forked: If the transaction was 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 lost forever.
Comparison and Conclusion
![Bitcoin: What's the difference between '[validation] TransactionAddedToMempool' and '[mempool] AcceptToMemoryPool' log messages when running debug=1?](https://illpoetic.me/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2a0cfff5.png)
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 managing transactions in the mempool, including queuing, forking, or bloom-fork 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 queuing, forking, or bloom-forking.
By understanding these log messages and their implications, you can better monitor Bitcoin network activity and optimize your performance when running Bitcoin Core.
