How blockchain confirmations work
What a network confirmation is, why the exchange starts only after confirmations and why it takes longer on some networks.
When you send coins, the transaction first goes to the network and then gets included in a block. Each next block built on top of it adds one more confirmation. The more confirmations, the harder it is to reverse the transaction, so services wait for a certain number of them before treating a deposit as received.
Transaction sent
It waits to be included in a block
Block with your transaction
1 confirmation
Next blocks
+1 confirmation with each new block
Deposit received
After the required number of confirmations the exchange starts
Why it takes different time
- Networks produce blocks at different speeds: Bitcoin is much slower than TRON, Solana or TON.
- The required number of confirmations differs from network to network.
- When a network is busy, a transaction with a low fee may wait longer to be included in a block.
What it means for your exchange
With a floating rate there is no deadline for your deposit: the exchange starts once your transfer arrives and gets network confirmations. Until then, the status shows that the deposit is being confirmed.
You can follow your transaction on a public blockchain explorer: see How to check a transaction status.
Terms in this guide
Confirmation
Each new block added on top of the block with your transaction. Services wait for a certain number of confirmations before treating a deposit as received.
Blockchain explorer
A public website that shows transactions, addresses and blocks of a network. Each network has its own explorers.
Transaction hash (TxID)
A unique identifier of a transaction. With it you can find the transfer in a blockchain explorer, and support can check it.