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| -rw-r--r-- | doc/release-notes.md | 46 |
1 files changed, 46 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md index 9272d427cd..e68e12310e 100644 --- a/doc/release-notes.md +++ b/doc/release-notes.md @@ -19,3 +19,49 @@ estimate. Statistics used to estimate fees and priorities are saved in the data directory in the 'fee_estimates.dat' file just before program shutdown, and are read in at startup. + +Double-Spend Relay and Alerts +============================= +VERY IMPORTANT: *It has never been safe, and remains unsafe, to rely* +*on unconfirmed transactions.* + +Relay +----- +When an attempt is seen on the network to spend the same unspent funds +more than once, it is no longer ignored. Instead, it is broadcast, to +serve as an alert. This broadcast is subject to protections against +denial-of-service attacks. + +Wallets and other bitcoin services should alert their users to +double-spends that affect them. Merchants and other users may have +enough time to withhold goods or services when payment becomes +uncertain, until confirmation. + +Bitcoin Core Wallet Alerts +-------------------------- +The Bitcoin Core wallet now makes respend attempts visible in several +ways. + +If you are online, and a respend affecting one of your wallet +transactions is seen, a notification is immediately issued to the +command registered with `-respendnotify=<cmd>`. Additionally, if +using the GUI: + - An alert box is immediately displayed. + - The affected wallet transaction is highlighted in red until it is + confirmed (and it may never be confirmed). + +A `respendsobserved` array is added to `gettransaction`, `listtransactions`, +and `listsinceblock` RPC results. + +Warning +------- +*If you rely on an unconfirmed transaction, these change do VERY* +*LITTLE to protect you from a malicious double-spend, because:* + + - You may learn about the respend too late to avoid doing whatever + you were being paid for + - Using other relay rules, a double-spender can craft his crime to + resist broadcast + - Miners can choose which conflicting spend to confirm, and some + miners may not confirmg the first acceptable spend they see + |