Glossary
Confirmation Time
16/04/2026
Confirmation time is the amount of time that passes from when a transaction is broadcast to the network until it reaches the required number of block confirmations to be considered final. It has two components:
- Time to first confirmation — how long until the transaction is included in a block
- Number of confirmations required — how many subsequent blocks are needed before the recipient (e.g., an exchange) accepts it as final
Confirmation times by network
| Network | Block time | Typical confirmations required | Total wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | ~10 min | 1–3 | 10–30 min |
| Litecoin (LTC) | ~2.5 min | 3–6 | 8–15 min |
| Kaspa (KAS) | ~1 sec | 10–20 | ~20 sec |
| Ethereum (ETH) | ~12 sec | 12–64 | 2–13 min |
What affects confirmation time
- Mempool congestion — during busy periods, low-fee transactions wait longer
- Fee paid — higher fee → miners prioritize the transaction → faster inclusion
- Block time — faster block times (Kaspa, Litecoin) mean faster first confirmation
Why exchanges require multiple confirmations
One confirmation means a transaction is in the chain, but it could still be reversed by a chain reorganization. Each additional block makes reversal exponentially harder. Exchanges set a threshold based on their security model and the coin's block time.
