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Bitcoin coinbase maturity refers to the number of confirmations required before newly mined bitcoins can be spent. The Bitcoin protocol enforces a 100-block maturity period for coinbase transactions, which are the special transactions that create new bitcoins as mining rewards.
This 100-block waiting period serves several important purposes in the Bitcoin network. It prevents miners from immediately spending their rewards and then attempting to reorganize the blockchain through selfish mining attacks. The maturity requirement also helps maintain network stability and security by ensuring that newly created bitcoins are properly integrated into the blockchain before being circulated.
Each block in the Bitcoin blockchain takes approximately 10 minutes to mine, meaning the 100-block maturity period typically lasts about 16-17 hours. During this time, the coinbase transaction outputs remain unspendable, though they are visible in the blockchain and counted toward the miner\“s balance.
The coinbase maturity rule is hardcoded into the Bitcoin protocol and cannot be changed without a consensus upgrade. This fundamental security feature has been part of Bitcoin since its inception and contributes to the network\“s robust security model. |
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