Blockchain Confirmation Times
Every blockchain requires a certain number of confirmations before a transaction is considered final. This directly affects exchange speed.
What Is a Confirmation?
A confirmation occurs when a new block is added to the blockchain after the block containing your transaction. More confirmations = higher certainty the transaction is final.
Required Confirmations by Network
| Network | Required | Block Time | Total Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| XMR | 10 | ~2 min | ~20 min |
| BTC | 1–2 | ~10 min | 10–20 min |
| ETH | 12 | ~12 sec | ~2.5 min |
| SOL | 1 | ~0.4 sec | <1 min |
| XRP | 1 | ~4 sec | ~4 sec |
| LTC | 3 | ~2.5 min | ~7.5 min |
| BNB | 15 | ~3 sec | ~45 sec |
| DOGE | 6 | ~1 min | ~6 min |
Why XMR Needs 10 Confirmations
Monero requires 10 confirmations (~20 minutes) due to its privacy features. The additional confirmations ensure that ring signatures and other privacy mechanisms are fully settled and cannot be reversed.
Can This Be Sped Up?
- —You cannot speed up confirmations — they depend on block production
- —You can speed up initial inclusion by using higher transaction fees
- —Choosing faster networks (SOL, XRP) means fewer and faster confirmations
Stuck at 0 Confirmations?
If your transaction shows 0 confirmations for an extended period, the transaction fee may be too low. For BTC, consider using RBF (Replace-By-Fee) to increase the fee — but note that some exchanges don't support RBF deposits.