Confirmations
How many confirmations does Ethereum need?
Unheld credits a payment on Ethereum at a confirmation depth of 12, which the network reaches about 2 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 Ethereum
| Fact | Ethereum |
|---|---|
| Confirmation depth Unheld waits for | 12 |
| Block interval | about 12 seconds |
| Network time to that depth | about 2 minutes after inclusion |
| Assets Unheld lists here | ETH, USDC and USDT |
How the time is worked out
- A confirmation depth of 12, with one block about every 12 seconds, comes to about 2 minutes.
- The block time is ethereum.org’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.
Ethereum confirmation questions
How many confirmations does Unheld wait for on Ethereum?
A confirmation depth of 12. Until then the payment shows on the invoice but is not yet credited.
How long does a payment on Ethereum take to be credited?
About 2 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.
How long does USDC on Ethereum take?
About 2 minutes after the payment is first included in a block, at a confirmation depth of 12, plus a few seconds for Unheld’s detection and checks.
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.