Short answer: For everyday use, most Monero wallets consider incoming funds fully unlocked after ~10 confirmations, which is about 20 minutes since Monero’s target block time is ~2 minutes per block.
Mined (coinbase) rewards require ~60 confirmations (~2 hours) before they’re spendable.
What a “Confirmation” Means in Monero
- When your transaction lands in a block, that’s 1 confirmation. Each block added after it increases the confirmation count.
- Because Monero’s target block time is ~2 minutes, confirmations accumulate quickly compared with chains that have longer block times.
Typical Confirmation Requirements by Scenario
- Coffee, small in-person buys: Many merchants accept 0–1 confirmation (risk-based choice for small tickets).
- Normal online purchases: Commonly 1–2 confirmations (~2–4 minutes) before fulfillment.
- Larger purchases / higher risk: 10 confirmations (~20 minutes) is a widely used safety threshold in wallets.
- Exchange deposits: Varies by exchange—often 10–20+. Always check the exchange’s current requirement.
- Mined (coinbase) rewards: 60 confirmations (~2 hours) before spendable.
Why Do Wallets Show “Pending” Until ~10 Confirmations?
- Reorg safety: Waiting ~10 blocks adds strong protection against short chain reorganizations.
- Good UX default: Wallets tend to strike a balance: fast availability for routine use while minimizing double-spend risk.
Monero Block Time & Confirmation Math
- Target block time: ~2 minutes
- 1 confirmation: ~2 minutes
- 3 confirmations: ~6 minutes
- 10 confirmations: ~20 minutes
- 60 confirmations (mined coins): ~2 hours
Merchant & User Tips
- Risk-based acceptance: For small tickets, 0–1 conf is common; for bigger orders, wait longer.
- Show the TX quickly: Provide the TXID or payment proof to the merchant if asked.
- Network conditions: During unusual network conditions, add a few extra confirmations to be safe.
FAQ
Is Monero faster to confirm than Bitcoin?
Monero targets ~2-minute blocks vs. Bitcoin’s ~10 minutes, so comparable confirmation counts complete sooner in wall-clock time.
Do I ever need more than 10 confirmations?
For high-value transactions or where policy requires, yes—some services ask for 20+. Always follow the receiver’s stated policy.
Why 60 confirmations for mined XMR?
Coinbase (mined) outputs are intentionally locked longer (~60 blocks) before they’re spendable, a long-standing practice to strengthen security.
Summary: For most users, assume ~10 confirmations (~20 minutes) for fully unlocked funds, 0–2 for quick, low-value purchases (merchant permitting), and 60 for mined rewards.
