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Crypto Terms:  Letter Z
Jul 07, 2023 |
updated: Apr 02, 2024

What is Zero Confirmation/Unconfirmed Transaction?

Zero Confirmation/Unconfirmed Transaction Meaning:
Zero Confirmation/Unconfirmed Transaction - a transaction that hasn't been confirmed or recorded on the blockchain.
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Let's find out Zero Confirmation/Unconfirmed Transaction meaning, definition in crypto, what is Zero Confirmation/Unconfirmed Transaction, and all other detailed facts.

A zero confirmation transaction (unconfirmed transaction) is a transaction that has not yet been recorded or verified on the blockchain. It’s important to note a couple of the fundamental ideas of blockchain technology to put it in context.

Keep in mind that a blockchain is a decentralized ledger made up of a continuous chain of blocks. A blockchain is managed by a network of distributed nodes that agree on the integrity of the data stored on a shared ledger. In order to disrupt the blockchain's integrity, bad actors would need to control at least 51% of the network's computer power.

After transmitting data to the blockchain, users must wait for one of the network's nodes to register and then verify the data before adding it to a block. Since the blocks are interconnected, each validated block confirms all previous blocks. A zero confirmation transaction is one that has not yet been validated on the blockchain and, as a result, is not yet a part of it.

This can be thought of as a transaction that has been launched but not yet confirmed by the network's miners. Only the actor initiating the transaction is aware of it, and the transaction is considered to have zero confirmation until a block is mined and the transaction has been confirmed by other network participants. Bare in mind that the time it takes for a transaction to be confirmed varies based on the amount of transactions on a network.

When a seller distributes their goods before a crypto payment has been verified by the network, with the expectation that the confirmation would eventually be confirmed, is an example of a zero confirmation transaction. In most cases, at least six network confirmations are required to be fairly certain that the transaction has been verified.