Question 1

What is sat/vB?

Accepted Answer

sat/vB means satoshis per virtual byte. Bitcoin fees are based on how much blockspace a transaction uses, not the dollar amount being sent.

Question 2

Why do Bitcoin fees rise?

Accepted Answer

Blocks have limited room. When many people want in quickly, transactions offering higher fee rates usually get picked first.

Question 3

What is a stuck transaction?

Accepted Answer

It is usually an unconfirmed transaction with a fee rate below what miners are currently selecting. It may confirm later, be fee-bumped, or disappear from some mempools.

Question 4

What is RBF?

Accepted Answer

RBF stands for Replace-by-Fee. If your wallet enabled it, you can often resend the same transaction with a higher fee.

Question 5

What is UTXO consolidation?

Accepted Answer

It means combining several small bitcoin pieces in your wallet into fewer pieces. It can make future spending cheaper, but the consolidation transaction itself can be large.

Question 6

When is a good time to consolidate?

Accepted Answer

Usually when fee pressure is calm and you are not in a rush. Avoid doing it during congestion unless there is a specific operational need.

Checking Bitcoin fees