Confirmations
How many confirmations does Bitcoin need?
Unheld credits a payment on Bitcoin at a confirmation depth of 2, which the network reaches about 10 minutes after the payment is first included in a block. Unheld’s own detection and checks add a few seconds.
What Unheld waits for on Bitcoin
| Fact | Bitcoin |
|---|---|
| Confirmation depth Unheld waits for | 2 |
| Block interval | about 10 minutes |
| Network time to that depth | about 10 minutes after inclusion |
| Assets Unheld lists here | BTC |
How the time is worked out
- At a confirmation depth of 2, the block holding the payment counts as the first confirmation, so the wait after inclusion is for the rest: with one block about every 10 minutes, about 10 minutes.
- The block time is Bitcoin Developer Guide’s own figure, read on Oct 3, 2026.
- Unheld’s own detection and checks come on top of that: usually a few seconds.
- The clock starts when the payment is first included in a block. Waiting to be included is not counted: a busy network or a low fee can add to it, and the payer’s wallet usually sets that fee.
- A block time is an average or a target set by the network; any single block can arrive sooner or later.
Why Unheld waits for confirmations
Until enough blocks are built on top of it, a payment can still be reversed. Unheld marks an invoice paid only at the depth set for each network, so goods are not released against a payment that can still disappear.
Bitcoin confirmation questions
How many confirmations does Unheld wait for on Bitcoin?
A confirmation depth of 2. Until then the payment shows on the invoice but is not yet credited.
How long does a payment on Bitcoin take to be credited?
About 10 minutes after the payment is first included in a block — the time the network takes to reach the depth — plus a few seconds for Unheld’s detection and checks. The time spent waiting to be included is not counted.
Can a payment be credited sooner?
No. Crediting earlier would treat a payment that can still be reversed as final. The depth is a security setting, not a speed setting.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these documents. Each was read on the date shown rather than recalled.