Ethereum RPC Error: Invalid RPC User or Password

As an Ethereum user, you may have encountered an error message when trying to use the bitcoin-cli command. The error message invalid rpcuser or rpcpassword (authorization failed) indicates that your username or password for the Ethereum network is incorrect.

This issue can be frustrating, especially if you are new to Bitcoin or Ethereum. In this article, we will explore what causes this error and provide guidance on how to resolve it.

Understanding RPC Authentication

Ethereum uses a protocol called Remote Procedure Call (RPC) to communicate with nodes on the network. When you use bitcoin-cli commands, your username and password are sent as an XML formatted string over the RPC connection. The server then checks this information against the stored user credentials.

If your username or password is incorrect, the server will reject the authentication request, resulting in an error message of “invalid rpcuser or rpcpassword (authentication failed)”.

Troubleshooting Steps

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

1. Check your configuration file

Make sure you have created a bitcoin.conf file in the specified directory (/mnt/btc) with the following content:

[RPC]
rpcuser = [username]
rpcpassword = [password]

Alternatively, use the "default" key for RPC user and password
rpcuser = default
rpcpassword = 1234567890abcdef

Replace “[username]” and “[password]” with your actual Ethereum username and password.

2. Verify your username and password

Re-check that you entered your username and password correctly in the bitcoin.conf file or when you run bitcoin-cli. Make sure that the username and password are spelled exactly as they appear in the bitcoin.conf file or when you type them in bitcoin-cli.

3. Run bitcoind -datadir again

Try running bitcoind -datadir=/mnt/btc again to make sure your configuration is loaded correctly.

4. Check your network connection

Make sure you are connected to the Ethereum network using a stable internet connection and VPN (if necessary). If you are behind a proxy or firewall, make sure it is not blocking bitcoin-cli communication.

5. Update Bitcoin-Qt

If you are using a version of Bitcoin-Qt older than 1.29.0-rc.1, update to the latest version:

git clone 
git checkout 1.29.0-rc.1

Then restart bitcoind:

./bitcoin --datadir=/mnt/btc --force-reload

6. Restart your Bitcoin node

Try restarting your Bitcoin node manually:

bitcoind -force-reload

This will reload the configuration files and restart the node.

Conclusion

If you have followed these steps and are still experiencing issues, there may be other factors. You can try:

• Check for updates tobitcoin-cliorbitcoind.

• Check your network connection.

• Manually restart your bitcoin node.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to resolve the "invalid rpcuser or rpcpassword (authorization failed)" error when usingbitcoin-cli`.

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