How the estimate works
Each network has an average block (or slot) time: about 10 minutes for Bitcoin, 2.5 minutes for Litecoin, 1 minute for Dogecoin, 2 minutes for Monero, 12-second slots on Ethereum, 3 seconds on TRON, about 0.4 seconds per Solana slot. Multiply by the number of blocks the receiver waits for and you get the expected time.
On proof-of-work chains blocks do not arrive on a schedule โ finding one is a lottery with a fixed average. The waiting time for k blocks follows a gamma (Erlang) distribution, so the estimator reports percentiles: one Bitcoin confirmation has a median of about 7 minutes, but one transfer in ten waits more than 23 minutes. Proof-of-stake chains such as Ethereum, TRON and Solana produce blocks on a fixed rhythm, so the expected time is also the typical time.
expected time = block time ร confirmations
P(k blocks by t) = 1 โ ฮฃ_{n=0}^{kโ1} e^(โt/T) (t/T)^n รท n! (proof of work, T = block time)Examples
Bitcoin with 3 confirmations: expected 30 minutes, half of transfers within about 27 minutes, nine in ten within 53 minutes, 99 in 100 within 84 minutes. With 6 confirmations: expected an hour, 90% within about 93 minutes.
Litecoin with 6 confirmations: expected 15 minutes, 90% within about 23 minutes. Dogecoin with 20: expected 20 minutes, 90% within about 26 minutes โ more blocks means less relative randomness. Ethereum finality (two epochs, 64 slots): about 12.8 minutes. TRONโs 19 blocks to irreversibility: about 57 seconds.
Typical values and what they mean
- Bitcoin โ 10-minute target block time, adjusted every 2,016 blocks. Services commonly ask for 1โ6 confirmations depending on amount.
- Ethereum and ERC-20 โ blocks every 12 seconds; economic finality after two epochs, about 12.8 minutes. Many services credit earlier, after a set number of blocks.
- TRON (TRC-20) โ 3-second blocks; a block is considered irreversible after 19 confirmations.
- Solana โ ~0.4-second slots; โfinalizedโ commitment usually takes around 13 seconds.
- BNB Smart Chain โ sub-second blocks since the 2025 upgrades; deposits are typically credited in seconds.
- XRP Ledger โ ledgers close every few seconds and a validated ledger is final.
- Monero โ 2-minute blocks; received outputs are locked for 10 blocks before they can be spent.
The confirmation count is set by the receiver, not by the network โ check the deposit page of your exchange or wallet. The table on this page uses example counts.
When the delay is not about confirmations
A transaction must first be included in a block. If the fee was too low for current demand โ common on Bitcoin and Ethereum during busy periods โ it can wait in the mempool for hours before the confirmation clock even starts. Bitcoin transactions can often be sped up with replace-by-fee (RBF) or child-pays-for-parent (CPFP); Ethereum transactions by resubmitting with the same nonce and a higher fee. Other causes are a deposit on the wrong network, a missing memo or destination tag, or a manual compliance review at the receiving service.
Frequently asked questions
+How long does a Bitcoin transaction take?
Once it is in a block, each confirmation takes 10 minutes on average. Three confirmations take about 30 minutes on average, but up to about 53 minutes for 9 in 10 transfers. Add any time spent waiting in the mempool.
+How many confirmations are needed?
The receiving exchange or wallet decides. Check its deposit page; it often differs by coin and sometimes by amount.
+Why are some Bitcoin blocks so slow?
Block discovery is random. The average is 10 minutes, but gaps of 30โ60 minutes happen regularly, and occasionally a few blocks arrive within minutes of each other.
+Which network confirms fastest?
Solana, BNB Smart Chain, XRP Ledger and TRON usually credit within seconds to about a minute. Bitcoin is the slowest of the major networks.
+My transaction has 0 confirmations for hours โ what now?
It is probably stuck because of a low fee. Use RBF or CPFP on Bitcoin, or replace the transaction with a higher fee on Ethereum; otherwise wait โ many stuck transactions are eventually dropped and the coins return to the senderโs wallet.
Calculations run entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent to KOT.CASH. Results are estimates for information only and are not financial, tax or legal advice.