<p>As described in the <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Alerts">Alerts article</a> on the Bitcoin wiki:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Only alerts that are signed by a specific ECDSA public key are
  considered valid. A copy of the private key is held by at least
  Satoshi, Gavin, and theymos.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>All alerts that have not expired are relayed but the client displays only the highest priority alert that hasn't yet expired and wasn't cancelled, I believe.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-06T22:38:02.113Z
2012-04-07T09:23:49.797Z
2012-04-07T09:23:49.797Z
Stephen Gornick
<p>The Bitcoin protocol lists an <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Protocol_specification#alert">Alert message</a> that in the Standard Client is displayed to all users. How does the Standard Client decide which messages to forward and display, and which to ignore? Does it respond only to predefined signatures of the developers, or can anyone send their own alert messages to the Network?</p>

<protocol><bitcoin-core><signature><alert-system><message>
How does Bitcoin decide which Alert messages to forward?
ThePiachu
# How does Bitcoin decide which Alert messages to forward?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-06)

The Bitcoin protocol lists an [Alert message](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Protocol_specification#alert) that in the Standard Client is displayed to all users. How does the Standard Client decide which messages to forward and display, and which to ignore? Does it respond only to predefined signatures of the developers, or can anyone send their own alert messages to the Network?

**Tags:** protocol, bitcoin-core, signature, alert-system, message


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-06. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

As described in the [Alerts article](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Alerts) on the Bitcoin wiki:

> Only alerts that are signed by a specific ECDSA public key are
> considered valid. A copy of the private key is held by at least
> Satoshi, Gavin, and theymos.

All alerts that have not expired are relayed but the client displays only the highest priority alert that hasn't yet expired and wasn't cancelled, I believe.


---

