What is Confirmation?

A confirmation happens each time a new block is added to the chain after the block containing your transaction. The first confirmation means your transaction was included; each further block stacked on top makes it exponentially harder to reverse. More confirmations mean more finality and safety.

This matters because a transaction with zero or very few confirmations is not yet fully settled. Waiting for enough confirmations protects against rare reorganisations of the chain, especially for large or important transfers.

Example: an exchange might wait for a set number of confirmations before crediting a deposit, ensuring the transaction is deeply buried and effectively irreversible before releasing funds.

Safety note: for significant transfers, wait for adequate confirmations before considering funds truly settled, and be patient rather than trusting a single confirmation during busy periods. Scammers may claim a payment is “confirmed” when it is not, so verify on a block explorer. On networks with fast finality this matters less, but the principle of waiting for settlement still applies. Related terms include transaction hash, block explorer, finality, and consensus.