diff --git a/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxOutputParser.java b/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxOutputParser.java
index 3d6a933edf..d7a62273be 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxOutputParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxOutputParser.java
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ public class TxOutputParser {
     @Getter
     private boolean bsqOutputFound;
     @Getter
-    private Optional<OpReturnType> optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate = Optional.empty();
-    @Getter
     private Optional<OpReturnType> optionalVerifiedOpReturnType = Optional.empty();
     @Getter
     private Optional<TempTxOutput> optionalIssuanceCandidate = Optional.empty();
@@ -82,9 +80,17 @@ public class TxOutputParser {
         }
     }
 
-    boolean isOpReturnCandidate(TempTxOutput txOutput) {
-        optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate = OpReturnParser.getOptionalOpReturnTypeCandidate(txOutput);
-        return optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.isPresent();
+    boolean isOpReturnOutput(TempTxOutput txOutput) {
+        return txOutput.getOpReturnData() != null;
+    }
+
+    void processOpReturnOutput(boolean isLastOutput, TempTxOutput tempTxOutput) {
+        byte[] opReturnData = tempTxOutput.getOpReturnData();
+        if (opReturnData != null) {
+            handleOpReturnOutput(tempTxOutput, isLastOutput);
+        } else {
+            log.error("This should be an opReturn output");
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -110,14 +116,10 @@ public class TxOutputParser {
                 handleBtcOutput(tempTxOutput, index);
             }
         } else {
-            handleOpReturnOutput(tempTxOutput, isLastOutput);
+            log.error("This should not be an opReturn output");
         }
     }
 
-    boolean isOpReturnOutput(TempTxOutput txOutput) {
-        return txOutput.getOpReturnData() != null;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Whether a transaction is a valid unlock bond transaction or not.
      *
@@ -154,8 +156,8 @@ public class TxOutputParser {
         boolean isFirstOutput = index == 0;
 
         OpReturnType opReturnTypeCandidate = null;
-        if (optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.isPresent())
-            opReturnTypeCandidate = optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.get();
+        if (optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.isPresent())
+            opReturnTypeCandidate = optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.get();
 
         TxOutputType bsqOutput;
         if (isFirstOutput && opReturnTypeCandidate == OpReturnType.BLIND_VOTE) {
@@ -182,8 +184,8 @@ public class TxOutputParser {
         // candidate to the parsingModel and we don't apply the TxOutputType as we do that later as the OpReturn check.
         if (availableInputValue > 0 &&
                 index == 1 &&
-                optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.isPresent() &&
-                optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.get() == OpReturnType.COMPENSATION_REQUEST) {
+                optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.isPresent() &&
+                optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.get() == OpReturnType.COMPENSATION_REQUEST) {
             // We don't set the txOutputType yet as we have not fully validated the tx but put the candidate
             // into our local optionalIssuanceCandidate.
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxParser.java b/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxParser.java
index 0110480a4d..7d94509b00 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/bisq/core/dao/node/parser/TxParser.java
@@ -116,8 +116,9 @@ public class TxParser {
             checkArgument(!outputs.isEmpty(), "outputs must not be empty");
             int lastIndex = outputs.size() - 1;
             int lastNonOpReturnIndex = lastIndex;
-            if (txOutputParser.isOpReturnCandidate(outputs.get(lastIndex))) {
-                txOutputParser.processTxOutput(true, outputs.get(lastIndex), lastIndex);
+            if (txOutputParser.isOpReturnOutput(outputs.get(lastIndex))){
+                // TODO(SQ): perhaps the check for isLastOutput could be skipped
+                txOutputParser.processOpReturnOutput(true, outputs.get(lastIndex));
                 lastNonOpReturnIndex -= 1;
             }
 
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ public class TxParser {
                     // use RawTx?
                     TxType txType = TxParser.getBisqTxType(
                             tempTx,
-                            txOutputParser.getOptionalOpReturnTypeCandidate().isPresent(),
+                            txOutputParser.getOptionalVerifiedOpReturnType().isPresent(),
                             remainingInputValue,
                             getOptionalOpReturnType()
                     );
@@ -395,25 +396,7 @@ public class TxParser {
      */
     private Optional<OpReturnType> getOptionalOpReturnType() {
         if (txOutputParser.isBsqOutputFound()) {
-            // We want to be sure that the initial assumption of the opReturn type was matching the result after full
-            // validation.
-            Optional<OpReturnType> optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate = txOutputParser.getOptionalOpReturnTypeCandidate();
-            if (optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.isPresent()) {
-                OpReturnType opReturnTypeCandidate = optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate.get();
-                Optional<OpReturnType> optionalVerifiedOpReturnType = txOutputParser.getOptionalVerifiedOpReturnType();
-                if (optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.isPresent()) {
-                    OpReturnType verifiedOpReturnType = optionalVerifiedOpReturnType.get();
-                    if (opReturnTypeCandidate == verifiedOpReturnType) {
-                        return optionalVerifiedOpReturnType;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-
-            String msg = "We got a different opReturn type after validation as we expected initially. " +
-                    "optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate=" + optionalOpReturnTypeCandidate +
-                    ", optionalVerifiedOpReturnType=" + txOutputParser.getOptionalVerifiedOpReturnType();
-            log.error(msg);
-
+            return txOutputParser.getOptionalVerifiedOpReturnType();
         } else {
             String msg = "We got a tx without any valid BSQ output but with burned BSQ. " +
                     "Burned fee=" + remainingInputValue / 100D + " BSQ.";