Bitcoin Confirmations | How many confirmations required? (2024)

Bitcoin Confirmations | How many confirmations required? (1)

This article will help you understand what Bitcoin Confirmations are, the processes involved, and what it means to you as a user of bitcoins.

You don’t need to know the exact technicalities of Confirmations unless you have an interest in furthering your bitcoin knowledge. However, you really should know how many Confirmations are required to validate a transaction, just to keep yourself safe from fraud.

What are Bitcoin Confirmations?

Bitcoin Confirmations are the number of blocks added to the blockchain that the Bitcoin network has accepted after a particular transaction has been made. Broadly speaking, the more blocks that are added – more confirmations there are – the more secure a transaction is.

How do Bitcoin Confirmations work?

When a user wishes to send bitcoins to another user they provide the address (public key) from which the bitcoins are coming from and sign it with their private key – forming what is known as an asymmetric key pair.

Miners then check the public key to make sure the signature is valid. If so, they will add it to the block of data they are mining, thus ‘confirming’ the transaction when the block is added to the blockchain.

It is possible for a bad pairing to be added to a block and thus the blockchain, either deliberately or inadvertently. Other miners will recognise this fact and ignore that blockchain in its entirety. No further blocks will be added.

If those ‘other’ miners view the previous block as valid, they will subsequently add their blocks to the chain, thus further validating the original transaction. In a way, giving it another stamp of authority.

How many bitcoin confirmations are needed?

Six confirmations are widely considered to be safe and secure enough to prove your transaction will be valid and permanent. The initial transaction block represents the first confirmation, and you’re advised to wait until five additional blocks are added, resulting in a six-link blockchain. At this point the chances of your transaction being invalidated are less than 0.1%.

New blocks are added to the blockchain through the mining process, which is needed to secure a network and process a Bitcoin transaction. The bigger the value of the transaction, the more confirmations you should wait for as this helps to safely verify a transaction has taken place. For example, commentators suggest 60 confirmations for a transaction equating to more than $1,000,000, whilst just three confirmations might be considered enough for a transaction below $1,000 (on the basis that it just isn’t worth an attacker’s time for such a small amount).

How long do bitcoin confirmations take?

It takes an average of ten minutes for each confirmation to come through. Thus six confirmations would take roughly one hour. If the network is busy, say during a period of high price volatility, it may take much longer.

How can I check confirmations?

Once a transaction has successfully been made, you should be able to view the transaction details in your wallet with your transaction ID. Search the ID using a block explorer to check the number of confirmations that have been made for that specific transaction.

Bitcoin Confirmations | How many confirmations required? (2024)

FAQs

Bitcoin Confirmations | How many confirmations required? ›

All Bitcoin transactions need six confirmations in the blockchain from miners before being processed. In most cases, Bitcoin transactions need 1 to 1.5 hours to complete.

How many Bitcoin confirmations are enough? ›

3 Bitcoin confirmations are considered a standard for most transactions. For transactions under $1000, one Bitcoin confirmation is enough. For transactions $1000-$10,000, at least three Bitcoin confirmations are required.

Why is my Bitcoin not confirming? ›

Every bitcoin transaction that's sent flows into what's called the mempool (short for memory pool) before it can be confirmed by miners. When there's a dramatic spike in transaction activity, the mempool can become congested because so many transactions are waiting to be included in the next block.

Why does Bitcoin need 6 confirmations? ›

Many merchants wait for at least 6 confirmations of a transaction (meaning that six subsequent blocks of transactions were added to the blockchain after the transaction in question). At this point, the merchant can safely assume that the transaction is valid.

How long does it take to get 3 Bitcoin confirmations? ›

Then, each block added after that initial block results in 1 confirmation. So, one confirmation takes 10 minutes, 3 take a half hour, etc. These confirmations are counted from the block that has been added.

What is the longest wait for Bitcoin confirmation? ›

What's the longest time that a BTC transaction can take? The minimum time for a Bitcoin transaction is 2 minutes, according to the recorded timestamps, and the maximum is 6:02 hours. Official data notes that the confirmation time with a 99.98% probability is somewhere between 7 minutes and 3:44 hours.

How can I speed up my Bitcoin confirmation? ›

If you have sent a transaction that is taking a long time to confirm, you can speed it up by using our increase fee feature. This resends your unconfirmed transaction with a higher fee. Bitcoin miners prioritize transactions with higher fees when selecting transactions to include in a block.

Why is BTC taking so long to confirm? ›

It takes a minimum of six confirmations for a single Bitcoin transaction to be processed fully, with larger transactions generally requiring more confirmations, therefore taking more time. After all the confirmation phases are passed, the transaction can be fully finalized. This is the transaction time.

What happens if Bitcoin transfer is not confirmed? ›

Yes, unconfirmed BTC transactions can be canceled if the blockchain does not approve a Bitcoin transaction within 24 hours. It is considered unconfirmed until at least three miners do not confirm every transaction via the mining process. If you don't get a confirmation within this time, you can cancel your transaction.

How do I manually confirm a Bitcoin transaction? ›

Go to https://live.blockcypher.com/ or https://www.blockchain.com/explorer and type or paste the transaction ID into the search field. You can see how many confirmations your transaction has. If you're receiving BTC in your Paxful wallet, the funds should arrive after two confirmations.

How long does it take for BTC to confirm? ›

On the Bitcoin network, the average confirmation time for a BTC payment is about 10 minutes. However, transaction times can vary wildly. This is because it is affected by factors such as the total network activity, hashrate and transaction fees.

How long can a Bitcoin transaction stay unconfirmed? ›

This can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on the Bitcoin network. However, some Bitcoin transactions can take longer to be confirmed by miners. If you believe your transaction is taking longer than usual to be confirmed it could be due to mempool congestion and fees.

How long does 4 confirmations take Bitcoin? ›

Each confirmation exponentially reduces the risk of the transaction being reverted. In Bitso 4 confirmations are necessary in the network for your Bitcoins to be available, this normally occurs in approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

How long to get 6 Bitcoin confirmations? ›

How long do bitcoin confirmations take? It takes an average of ten minutes for each confirmation to come through. Thus six confirmations would take roughly one hour.

Why is blockchain holding my funds? ›

The holding period is designed to protect you from fraud if your debit/ credit card was lost or stolen. A holding period of 3 days is applied to one's first card order (as well as to any others placed within 72 hours of the first one).

What is the longest a Bitcoin transaction can take? ›

It depends on what your use case is and your definition of “sending bitcoin”. In general sending Bitcoin can take anywhere from seconds to over 60 minutes. Typically, however, it will take 10 to 20 minutes.

How many confirmation does a Bitcoin transaction need for it to be considered irreversible? ›

So How many confirmations do I have to wait to consider an irreversible transaction? For example, in the case of Bitcoin, It is recommended to wait 5 to 6 confirmations to safely consider a transaction. Once this point is reached, we can say that the Bitcoin network has irreversibly validated our transaction.

Why do I have to wait 6 days to send Bitcoin? ›

This delay is known as a "holding period" or "cooling-off period," and it is intended to protect both the exchange and its users from fraud, theft, and other security risks.

Why is my Bitcoin still pending? ›

Typically, incoming transactions appear in your account within a minute after they are broadcast, but will be tagged as Pending until there has been at least one network confirmation. The time it takes a transaction to be confirmed depends on the fee used by the sender and the overall network traffic.

How to bypass Bitcoin verification? ›

Q #2) How can I buy Bitcoin without verification? Answer: Simply sign up for an account with ShapeShift, BitQuick, and LocalBitcoins.com, Paxful, and DameCoins. After this, they will allow you to deposit fiat money via different methods like PayPal, bank transfers, and credit cards.

Can a Bitcoin transaction take 24 hours? ›

The wait time for a Bitcoin transaction can vary, but in most cases, it can take 24 hours or more to process. However, this is not a guarantee, and there is no set time frame for how long a transaction can take. The longer a transaction takes, the more money it will cost to send the funds.

What happens if a transaction never confirms? ›

If a transaction goes unconfirmed for too long, it will eventually disappear from the network. Most clients will remove it from their pool of unconfirmed transactions at some point. When most clients have removed it, you can go ahead and send the transaction again, this time with a higher fee.

What happens if Bitcoin transaction gets stuck? ›

It happens because of two main reasons: The transaction volume spikes, meaning that some of them will have to wait for others to be processed first. The hashrate suddenly drops, which means the processing power for approving transactions reduces until mining difficulty corrects itself accordingly.

Do all Bitcoin transactions get confirmed? ›

A Bitcoin transaction, or any cryptocurrency transaction must be confirmed on a blockchain to verify that the transaction is legitimate. A confirmed transaction means that the transaction has been included in a block, and therefore included in the blockchain.

Who verifies the transaction in Bitcoin? ›

The transaction is verified by a mining node and included in a block of transaction that is recorded on the blockchain. Once recorded on the blockchain and confirmed by sufficient subsequent blocks, the transaction is a permanent part of the bitcoin open distributed ledger and is accepted as valid by all participants.

Can you cancel a pending bitcoin transaction? ›

Coin deposits cannot be canceled or reversed. You are able to cancel a BTC withdrawal request to an external address under Account Funding/Withdraw BTC ONLY IF the withdrawal is still IN-PROGRESS and the transaction has not been broadcasted to the blockchain.

How long are Bitcoin transactions taking? ›

All Bitcoin transactions require six confirmations in the Blockchain from miners to be processed and credited to your account. In general, Bitcoin transactions usually take from one to one and half hours to complete.

Can an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction be reversed? ›

Once your cryptocurrency is sent out, it cannot be reversed. Please read our security guide to increase the protection of your funds. If you still want to try tracking the cryptocurrency address you accidentally sent your crypto to, you can use tools like Block Explorer.

Why do I have to wait 11 days to send Bitcoin on Coinbase? ›

Coinbase may delay cryptocurrency transactions sent from your Coinbase account if we suspect that you did not authorize the transaction.

Why it takes more than 5 days for my BTC deposit from Coinbase to appear on my Exodus wallet? ›

If your Coinbase transfer to Exodus is taking longer than usual, check that the transaction details, such as your Exodus wallet address, are all correct. Check that your Coinbase withdrawal to your Exodus wallet wasn't delayed for reasons like sending to an address Coinbase hasn't seen before.

How long does it take Bitcoin to confirm on Coinbase? ›

Usually the delay is under an hour and the transaction will eventually go through normally. Occasionally, transactions aren't accepted by the rest of the network and therefore are never considered to be confirmed.

Why can't i get my money off blockchain? ›

Holding period. If you've recently purchased crypto via card, ACH or Open Banking, your crypto may be subject to a holding period. During a holding period, you cannot withdraw from your cash (GBP, EUR, or USD) account, send funds to your DeFi Wallet, or send to an external wallet.

Can a transaction get stuck on the blockchain? ›

Is your transaction stuck? A transaction is considered stuck if it remains unconfirmed for several hours in the Bitcoin Blockchain. Usually, if the transaction remains unconfirmed for such a long time, miners remove it from their mempool [storage for unconfirmed transactions] to make space for newer transactions.

Why don't people trust blockchain? ›

Like any technological system, blockchains combine software code and human activity. It's not enough to trust the computers – which, after all, are built and programmed by people. For the technology to be used widely and wisely, there must be mechanisms to hold the humans accountable, too.

What is the average Bitcoin confirmation? ›

Bitcoin Average Confirmation Time is at a current level of 196.78, up from 172.38 yesterday and up from 10.54 one year ago. This is a change of 14.15% from yesterday and 1.77K% from one year ago.

How long does 1 Bitcoin confirmation take? ›

On the Bitcoin network, the average confirmation time for a BTC payment is about 10 minutes. However, transaction times can vary wildly. This is because it is affected by factors such as the total network activity, hashrate and transaction fees.

How long is 2 BTC confirmations? ›

How long does it take to confirm a Bitcoin transaction? Well, each confirmation is equivalent to the Bitcoin transaction being included in one block (grouping of Bitcoin transactions), and each block takes about 10 minutes. So two confirmations equal approximately 20 minutes.

How many confirmations does Coinbase need for Bitcoin? ›

When that happens, the bitcoin network has deemed your transaction valid. Coinbase currently requires 3 network confirmations before the transaction is considered finalized, however this number will vary with other Bitcoin services.

What's the longest a Bitcoin transaction can take? ›

It depends on what your use case is and your definition of “sending bitcoin”. In general sending Bitcoin can take anywhere from seconds to over 60 minutes. Typically, however, it will take 10 to 20 minutes.

How do I know if my Bitcoin transaction is confirmed? ›

Go to https://live.blockcypher.com/ or https://www.blockchain.com/explorer and type or paste the transaction ID into the search field. You can see how many confirmations your transaction has.

Can Bitcoin taking days to confirm? ›

Transactions can sometimes be completed in minutes while remaining unconfirmed for more than 24 hours on other occasions. Experiencing a delay in confirmation of a Bitcoin transaction can induce some anxiety, but it's a normal thing to expect on a blockchain network.

How can you tell a Bitcoin scammer? ›

So, how to spot a crypto scam? Warning signs to look out for include: Promises of guaranteed returns: No financial investment can guarantee future returns because investments can go down as well as up. Any crypto offering that promises you will definitely make money is a red flag.

Will unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction be returned? ›

While waiting for confirmation, your pending on-chain BTC transaction puts the coin on hold. The unspent funds will return to your wallet only after the whole network removes all traces of your unconfirmed transaction.

Why is my BTC pending on blockchain? ›

Pending status means that your transaction is unconfirmed on the blockchain. Wirex requires at least 1 confirmation before the deposit is completed.

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