What is a Block Confirmation on Ethereum? (2024)

FAQs

What is a Block Confirmation on Ethereum? ›

A block confirmation is simply the act of your transaction being included in a block on the blockchain. Therefore, if your transaction has 13 block confirmations (see above graphic), then there have been 12 blocks mined since the block was mined that included your transaction.

A confirmation represents the acceptance of a new block (containing several transactions) by the blockchain network. Once a miner has successfully added a new block to the blockchain, one 'confirmation' has occurred. This means that the transactions within the block are verified and are now part of the blockchain.

Blocks are files stored by a blockchain, where transaction data are permanently recorded. A block records some or all of the most recent transactions not yet validated by the network. Once the data are validated, the block is closed. Then, a new block is created for new transactions to be entered into and validated.

Summary. Block time defines the time it takes to mine a block. Both in bitcoin blockchain and ethereum blockchain, there is an expected block time, and an average block time. In bitcoin, the expected block time is 10 minutes, while in ethereum it is between 10 to 20 seconds.

A block confirmation is simply the act of your transaction being included in a block on the blockchain. Therefore, if your transaction has 13 block confirmations (see above graphic), then there have been 12 blocks mined since the block was mined that included your transaction.

Each block is mined at a different rate, depending on the blockchain. For example, on the Bitcoin blockchain, a block is mined on average every 10 minutes, and Nexo only credits Bitcoin top-ups to a client's account after a minimum of 3 confirmations, which takes approximately 30 minutes.

Comparing Block Times Across Different Blockchains

For instance, the average block time of some cryptocurrencies is: Bitcoin (BTC): 10 minutes. Ethereum (ETH): 12 seconds.

It is essentially the frequency at which new blocks are added to the blockchain. This metric is measured in seconds or minutes. Block time determines the speed of transaction confirmation and thus influences the transactions per second (TPS) rate. A shorter block time means faster transaction confirmation.

What is required block confirmation? ›

Block confirmation requirements for attestations on each chain. Before signing an attestation for a source chain event, Circle waits for a specified number of on-chain block confirmations to pass to determine finality.

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The average transaction time on Ethereum can range from 13 seconds upwards to 5 minutes, depending on how congested the network is at the time of the transaction, as well as the gas fee which has been paid by the person making a transaction at the time.

In Ethereum, pending blocks are generated as they are queued for production by miners. These pending blocks include pending transactions that are picked out by miners, based on the highest reward paid in gas. This mechanism exists as block finality is not possible on the Ethereum network.

When a user's transaction is included in a block that is added to the blockchain, this is called a block confirmation. A user's transaction must receive several block confirmations (meaning it must be included in a series of blocks) before it can be accepted by the network as valid.

Block rewards

Ethereum initially followed a trajectory similar to Bitcoin, employing a proof-of-work mechanism and relying on miners to secure the network. Miners in Ethereum were initially rewarded with 5 ether (ETH) for each block they successfully mined, in addition to receiving transaction fees known as gas fees.