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Confirmation
A confirmation is a count of how many blocks have been added since a transaction was included in the blockchain. One confirmation means it is in a block; each new block on top adds one more. On Bitcoin a new block arrives about every 10 minutes on average, with no guaranteed delay.
What it means for you. A transaction is not irreversible the moment it appears; each confirmation makes it harder to reverse. Bitcoin.org describes six confirmations as a minimum for high-value transfers, so a payment with zero or one confirmation is still provisional.
Sources: bitcoin.org: Some things you need to know, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (Nakamoto) · checked 4 October 2026
Finality
Finality is the point at which a transaction can no longer be changed or reversed without an attack the network makes extremely costly. On Ethereum, a block is finalized when two-thirds of staked ETH agree on it, usually within 12 to 15 minutes. Bitcoin has no fixed finality point; reversal gets harder with each confirmation.
What it means for you. A transaction that is included but not yet final is in a block that could, in rare cases, still be replaced. When moving large amounts or bridging between chains, the wait for finality is part of why a receiving service may hold funds before crediting them.
Sources: ethereum.org: Proof-of-stake, bitcoin.org: Some things you need to know, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (Nakamoto) · checked 4 October 2026