<p>Network propagation is the number of nodes (computers running a bitcoin client) that have heard about your transaction.</p>

<p>Confirmations is how many blocks have included your transaction and how many blocks have linked onto that block.  1 confirmation means your transaction was included in a block, 2 confirmations means that another block linked onto that first one, and so on.</p>

<p>Until a transaction has been included in a block, it isn't considered to have really happened, regardless of how many nodes have heard about it.</p>

<p>Propagation needs to happen before a confirmation can occur, as a mining node needs to be aware of the transaction to include it in a block.</p>

<p>As of this moment, both of your transactions you linked are now showing as having 1 confirmation after being included in block 228337.</p>

<p>As for why it took so long to get a confirmation (468 minutes for the first one), no real idea.  Might be something regarding some miners dislike for satshoidice.  For example, <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=149668.msg1590550#msg1590550" rel="nofollow">the Eligius pool is configured to exclude any Satoshidice transactions from their block</a>s, as they view them as spam.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-28T03:50:26.110Z
Thanks! I wasn't aware that transactions could be ignored by the nodes. Thanks for this, informative!
cstrat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-28T04:02:44.660Z
"Might be something regarding some miners dislike for satshoidice."

That seems like a reasonable explanation as some miners explicitly filter SatoshiDice transactions: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=149668.msg1590550#msg1590550.
ESRogs
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-28T11:50:12.760Z
It appears that blockchain.info has removed this field now...
cstrat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-28T14:26:52.423Z
@strat - Nodes aren't ignoring the transactions.  The vast majority of nodes aren't mining nodes, just people who use bitcoins and run a client.  They just relay the transactions to any nodes they're connected to.  Mining nodes can pick and choose what transactions they include in their mining attempts based on whatever criteria they choose, be it transaction fees, or in this case, probable origin.
Compro01
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T07:11:59.140Z
@Compro01, can you elaborate on the mechanics of "might be something regarding some miners dislike for satoshidice"?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T14:30:45.153Z
@Pacerier - exactly as I said.  Some pools, such as Eligius, explicitly refuse to include Satoshidice in their blocks.  I edited in the info from my comment.
Compro01
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T16:04:34.203Z
@Compro01, How does one go about refusing certain transactions like this?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T16:16:35.403Z
@Pacerier - Look at the transaction size, destination address, etc.  [Here's an example](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=150405.0).  Elligus I believe uses a more extensive transaction blacklist with more criteria that blocks more "unwanted" transactions
Compro01
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-28T03:39:57.903Z
2014-03-04T14:26:51.933Z
2014-03-04T14:26:51.933Z
Compro01
<p>I am wondering if someone could explain why two transactions have different network propagation values... and what does it even mean considering they are both unconfirmed transactions.
Do the transactions propagate through the nodes without being confirmed?</p>

<p>See below:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vSj9b.png" alt="enter image description here">
<a href="https://blockchain.info/tx/aec00216dfad6100638580bdc17a52d62e9c5687d9a981aaa2ece769d1f305c3" rel="noreferrer">https://blockchain.info/tx/aec00216dfad6100638580bdc17a52d62e9c5687d9a981aaa2ece769d1f305c3</a></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DZwio.png" alt="enter image description here">
<a href="https://blockchain.info/tx/bda711e375d32b70b9fe65f4e4ceba041c6d2bdcfdaa03c5cfaff02de5445539" rel="noreferrer">https://blockchain.info/tx/bda711e375d32b70b9fe65f4e4ceba041c6d2bdcfdaa03c5cfaff02de5445539</a></p>

<p>A number of my transactions are still unconfirmed after 10 hours of waiting.
All transactions included a fee.
I am trying to work out what has happened to them and what this whole network propagation thing means.</p>

<blockchain><blockchain.info>
Please explain network propagation with unconfirmed transactions (blockchain.info)
cstrat
# Please explain network propagation with unconfirmed transactions (blockchain.info)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-03-28)

I am wondering if someone could explain why two transactions have different network propagation values... and what does it even mean considering they are both unconfirmed transactions.
Do the transactions propagate through the nodes without being confirmed?

See below:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vSj9b.png)
<https://blockchain.info/tx/aec00216dfad6100638580bdc17a52d62e9c5687d9a981aaa2ece769d1f305c3>

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DZwio.png)
<https://blockchain.info/tx/bda711e375d32b70b9fe65f4e4ceba041c6d2bdcfdaa03c5cfaff02de5445539>

A number of my transactions are still unconfirmed after 10 hours of waiting.
All transactions included a fee.
I am trying to work out what has happened to them and what this whole network propagation thing means.

**Tags:** blockchain, blockchain.info


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-03-28. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Network propagation is the number of nodes (computers running a bitcoin client) that have heard about your transaction.

Confirmations is how many blocks have included your transaction and how many blocks have linked onto that block. 1 confirmation means your transaction was included in a block, 2 confirmations means that another block linked onto that first one, and so on.

Until a transaction has been included in a block, it isn't considered to have really happened, regardless of how many nodes have heard about it.

Propagation needs to happen before a confirmation can occur, as a mining node needs to be aware of the transaction to include it in a block.

As of this moment, both of your transactions you linked are now showing as having 1 confirmation after being included in block 228337.

As for why it took so long to get a confirmation (468 minutes for the first one), no real idea. Might be something regarding some miners dislike for satshoidice. For example, [the Eligius pool is configured to exclude any Satoshidice transactions from their block](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=149668.msg1590550#msg1590550)s, as they view them as spam.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks! I wasn't aware that transactions could be ignored by the nodes. Thanks for this, informative!  
> **username_2**: "Might be something regarding some miners dislike for satshoidice."  That seems like a reasonable explanation as some miners explicitly filter SatoshiDice transactions: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=149668.msg1590550#msg1590550.  
> **username_0**: It appears that blockchain.info has removed this field now...  
> **username_1**: @strat - Nodes aren't ignoring the transactions.  The vast majority of nodes aren't mining nodes, just people who use bitcoins and run a client.  They just relay the transactions to any nodes they're connected to.  Mining nodes can pick and choose what transactions they include in their mining attempts based on whatever criteria they choose, be it transaction fees, or in this case, probable origin.  
> **username_3**: @username_1, can you elaborate on the mechanics of "might be something regarding some miners dislike for satoshidice"?  
> **username_1**: @username_3 - exactly as I said.  Some pools, such as Eligius, explicitly refuse to include Satoshidice in their blocks.  I edited in the info from my comment.  
> **username_3**: @username_1, How does one go about refusing certain transactions like this?  
> **username_1**: @username_3 - Look at the transaction size, destination address, etc.  [Here's an example](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=150405.0).  Elligus I believe uses a more extensive transaction blacklist with more criteria that blocks more "unwanted" transactions  

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