Batching pays many recipients in one Bitcoin transaction, sharing fixed costs and saving block space. See how much it saves and who uses it.
Many payments, one transaction
Instead of making 20 separate transactions, a business can create one transaction with 20 outputs (plus change). The inputs, version and locktime are paid for once instead of 20 times.
How much it saves
| 20 separate payments | 1 batched payment | |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | at least 20 | as few as 1 |
| Change outputs | up to 20 | 1 |
| Rough size | about 2,800 vB | about 900 vB |
Rough figures for native SegWit; the real saving depends on the wallet's coins.
Who uses it
Exchanges processing withdrawals, mining pools paying miners, and payroll services. In MyBitcoinExplorer, explain_transaction labels transactions with five or more outputs as a likely batch payment.
Spot a batch on MyBitcoinExplorer
Open a recent block and look for transactions with one or a few inputs and many outputs: those are usually exchange withdrawals or pool payouts. The API and explain_transaction label them as likely batch payments.
Batching and fees for recipients
If a batch confirms slowly, every recipient waits. Recipients can still speed up their own payment with CPFP by spending their output.
Key takeaways
- Batching pays many recipients in one transaction.
- It shares the fixed costs and saves a lot of block space.
- Exchanges and pools batch payouts routinely.
Common questions
Does batching affect privacy?
Recipients in the same batch can see each other's outputs, and observers can tell it was a batch.
Can individuals batch payments?
Yes, many wallets let you add several recipients to one transaction.
How do I batch payments in my wallet?
Many wallets let you add several recipients to one send screen. Each becomes an output in a single transaction.
Does batching reduce fees per recipient?
Yes. Inputs and change are paid for once and shared across all recipients.