Why Does a Blockchain Transaction Stay “Pending” for So Long?

The article explains why a blockchain transaction can remain pending: it has been broadcast to the network but not yet included in a confirmed block. It highlights the role of the mempool, where miners and validators prioritize higher-fee transactions, and notes that low fees, network congestion, or an Ethereum nonce gap can delay confirmation. It also explains that stuck transactions can eventually be dropped from the mempool, with Bitcoin nodes commonly expiring unconfirmed transactions after about 14 days. The practical takeaway is that users can check the TXID, use Replace-By-Fee on Bitcoin, or submit a same-nonce replacement/cancel transaction on Ethereum. The piece is educational and has no direct market-moving catalyst, but it reinforces how fee dynamics and network congestion affect crypto transaction usability.