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BlockChain.info Database Glitch Causes Outage
Database Glitch
Blockchain.info, one of the major bitcoin wallet and block explorer services, has not been working since March 17th (late last night).
A reddit user brought the issue forward when a thread about a failed ‘shared coin’ transaction was initiated. The post was answered by Blockchain staff and the shared coin function was disabled as a result.
Users were further informed through Blockchain’s blog that shared coin transactions had been temporarily halted and an investigation was being conducted. A few hours later the service was back up. However, with further development and new issues being brought forth, blockchain.info was suspended.
‘Not a Hack Attack’
The Blockchain team quickly sorted out that the problem was not due to any hack attacks or “suspicious activity.” But, rather the services encountered several technical issues that sprouted from a “database error and resulted in suspension of services.” Furthermore, it was clarified that this current issue was completely separate from the SharedCoin service glitch.
Blockchain posted a detailed response explaining the technical issue on its blog. “It was simply the result of an obscure bug and a combination of technical factors that expressed this bug under heavy load,” the post stated.
The wallet service providers reassured its customers that all funds were safe and secure. There is no reason for alarm of bitcoins being lost because Blockchain does not store any of its customers’ keys. Hence, there is no danger to customers’ bitcoins.
The wallet function is still working because it was not affected by the technical issue and customer wallets could be reinstated during the suspension. For those who needed access to their wallets immediately, a guide was posted on how to retrieve it.
Blockchain has apologized for the unsuspected lengthy suspension and has conveyed that it is working diligently to restore services. Andreas Antonopoulos, Chief Security Officer at Blockchain tweeted:
@Miningtron @blockchain As per our announcement: Not hacked, database bug, all funds safe, we don’t hold keys, back as soon as possible.
— AndreasMAntonopoulos (@aantonop) March 17, 2014
With the recent downfall of Mt. Gox, it is understandable why the bitcoin community is taken aback by this new incident. Nevertheless, unlike Mt. Gox, Blockchain has been very transparent in its dealings with its customers. Moreover, it has been sharing details about the technical issue and the progress the team has been making.
Updates are continuously being posted on the Blockchain blog and Twitter. Customers and all parties concerned have been directed to visit those sites for further updates.
CoinReport is following this story and will report any developments.
Image source via Blockchain.info
