<p>The two modes don't just unconditionally return the same thing. They do different calculations and can return different results under certain conditions, particularly when fees are very variable for low confirmation targets. The current fee situation just makes it so that the estimator ends up using the same values for both modes.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-21T04:30:30.830Z
2019-05-21T04:30:30.830Z
Ava Chow
<p>I have observed this behavior several times before now, the commands <code>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 ECONOMICAL</code> and <code>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 CONSERVATIVE</code> give the same estimates.</p>

<p>For example, now I get:</p>

<pre><code>&gt;bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 ECONOMICAL
{
  "feerate": 0.00173558,
  "blocks": 2
}

&gt;bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 CONSERVATIVE
{
  "feerate": 0.00173558,
  "blocks": 2
}

&gt;bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 144 ECONOMICAL
{
  "feerate": 0.00036069,
  "blocks": 2
}

&gt;bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 144 CONSERVATIVE
{
  "feerate": 0.00036069,
  "blocks": 2
}
</code></pre>

<p>I can increase the number of blocks even higher than 144 and I get the same result both. My node has been running uninterrupted for a long time so I found no reason for these values to be wrong. However, what's the point of having two modes of estimating fees if they give the same </p>

<bitcoin-core><transaction-fees><bitcoin-cli><blockspace-market><fee-estimation>
Bitcoin core's estimatesmartfee gives same estimate on ECONOMICAL and CONSERVATIVE mode
Pedro
# Bitcoin core's estimatesmartfee gives same estimate on ECONOMICAL and CONSERVATIVE mode

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-20)

I have observed this behavior several times before now, the commands `bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 ECONOMICAL` and `bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 CONSERVATIVE` give the same estimates.

For example, now I get:

```
>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 ECONOMICAL
{
  "feerate": 0.00173558,
  "blocks": 2
}

>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 2 CONSERVATIVE
{
  "feerate": 0.00173558,
  "blocks": 2
}

>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 144 ECONOMICAL
{
  "feerate": 0.00036069,
  "blocks": 2
}

>bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 144 CONSERVATIVE
{
  "feerate": 0.00036069,
  "blocks": 2
}

```

I can increase the number of blocks even higher than 144 and I get the same result both. My node has been running uninterrupted for a long time so I found no reason for these values to be wrong. However, what's the point of having two modes of estimating fees if they give the same

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, transaction-fees, bitcoin-cli, blockspace-market, fee-estimation


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-05-21. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The two modes don't just unconditionally return the same thing. They do different calculations and can return different results under certain conditions, particularly when fees are very variable for low confirmation targets. The current fee situation just makes it so that the estimator ends up using the same values for both modes.


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