How long does a Monero transaction take?

A Monero block is mined every ~2 minutes on average. Your transaction is included in the next block (usually within 2 minutes). For most wallets and P2P trades, 1 confirmation (~2 min) is sufficient. Exchanges require 10 confirmations (~20 minutes). Haveno escrow waits for 10 confirmations.

How many confirmations does Monero need?

It depends on the recipient. Personal wallets: 1 confirmation (visible immediately). P2P trades: 1-3 confirmations (2-6 min). Exchanges: 10 confirmations (~20 min). Haveno: 10 confirmations. Mining payouts: 60 confirmations (~2 hours). The standard for security is 10 confirmations.

Why does my exchange require 10 Monero confirmations?

Exchanges require 10 confirmations to prevent double-spend attacks. After 10 blocks, reversing a transaction would require an attacker to control >50% of the network hashrate — practically impossible. This is the Monero community's recommended security threshold.

My Monero transaction is stuck — what do I do?

If your transaction has been pending for >30 minutes: 1) Check the tx hash on a block explorer (xmrchain.net). If it shows 'not found', it may not have been broadcast. 2) Restart your wallet and let it resync. 3) If using a remote node, try a different node. 4) Check that your fee was sufficient (minimum relay fee is enforced by nodes). Stuck transactions eventually expire from the mempool (~24 hours).

Can a Monero transaction be reversed?

Monero transactions are irreversible once confirmed. Even 1 confirmation makes reversal extremely unlikely. After 10 confirmations, reversal is practically impossible without controlling a majority of the network hashrate. This is why P2P traders should always wait for confirmation before releasing funds.

Monero Confirmations — How Long Until Your XMR Arrives?

Block time, confirmation requirements, exchange waits, and troubleshooting stuck transactions.

TL;DR

Monero block time: ~2 minutes. Standard security: 10 confirmations (~20 min). P2P trades: 1-3 confirmations (~2-6 min). Exchanges: 10 confirmations (~20 min). Mining payouts: 60 confirmations (~2 hours). Transactions are irreversible after confirmation.

The Numbers

minutes

Block time — Average time between Monero blocks. Varies naturally (sometimes 30 sec, sometimes 5 min). Target: 120 seconds.

confirmations

Standard security threshold — The community-recommended minimum. Used by exchanges, Haveno escrow, and most services. ~20 minutes.

confirmations

Mining payout lock — Coinbase (mining reward) transactions require 60 confirmations (~2 hours) before they're spendable. Prevents double-spend from chain reorganization.

Confirmations by Context

Context	Confirmations	Time	Why
Wallet (visible)	0 (mempool)	Seconds	TX appears immediately, not yet confirmed
P2P small trade	1	~2 min	Low risk, fast finality
P2P medium trade	3	~6 min	Good balance of speed and security
Haveno escrow	10	~20 min	Full security for escrowed trades
Exchange deposit	10	~20 min	Industry standard, prevents double-spend
High-value trade	10+	~20+ min	Maximum security for large amounts
Mining payout	60	~2 hours	Coinbase maturity (protocol rule)

Monero vs Other Coins — Confirmation Speed

Coin	Block Time	"Safe" Confirmations	Total Wait
Monero (XMR)	2 min	10	~20 min
Bitcoin (BTC)	10 min	6	~60 min
Ethereum (ETH)	12 sec	64 (finality)	~13 min
Litecoin (LTC)	2.5 min	6	~15 min
Zcash (ZEC)	1.25 min	24	~30 min

Monero is faster than Bitcoin but slower than Ethereum for full finality. For P2P trading, the ~2-minute first confirmation is practically instant.

For P2P Traders

Practical advice from 683 trades: For face-to-face trades, 1 confirmation is sufficient — the risk of a double-spend on a single-confirmation transaction is negligibly small (would require >50% hashrate for ~2 minutes). For cash by mail, the mail transit time (days) provides far more confirmations than needed. For Haveno trades, the platform handles confirmation requirements automatically (10 confs).

Stuck Transaction? Here's What to Do

Check the block explorer — Go to xmrchain.net and search your transaction ID. If it shows confirmations, it's working — just wait.
"Not found" on explorer — Your transaction may not have been broadcast. Restart your wallet, reconnect to a node, and check if it reappears.
Try a different node — If using a remote node, it may be congested or out of sync. Switch to another node in your wallet settings.
Fee too low — Modern wallets set appropriate fees automatically. If you manually set a very low fee, the transaction may be rejected by nodes. It will expire from the mempool after ~24 hours, and your funds will return.
Wallet not synced — If your wallet shows a lower block height than the network, it hasn't caught up. Let it sync fully.

Never send a second transaction if the first is stuck. Wait for the first to either confirm or expire. Sending a second could result in both confirming, causing you to send double the amount.

How Confirmations Work Technically

When you send XMR, your transaction enters the mempool (memory pool) — a queue of unconfirmed transactions. Miners select transactions from the mempool, build a block, and solve the proof-of-work puzzle. When a miner finds a valid block, your transaction gets its first confirmation.

Each subsequent block added to the chain gives your transaction another confirmation. After 10 blocks, your transaction is buried under 10 blocks of proof-of-work — reversing it would require redoing all that computational work, which is economically irrational for an attacker.

Learn more about the technical details in How Monero Works.