<p>If a block is found super fast, like 1 minute, then you have your first confirmation in 1 minute. The 10 minutes is average of time between block confirmation. In fact, since the network in increasing in speed, we are more or less confirming block at 9 minutes each.</p>

<p>In some case, we are out of luck and a single block can take 30 minutes.</p>

<p>That said, the number of confirmation required to accept a payment is totally as the discretion of the merchant. You can accept with 0 confirmation, 1 or 2. Some go more than that but that should be for very big amount (like 100,000$ +).</p>

<p>Another alt coin can confirmed in 10 sec, that's irrelevant because 10 confirmations in that blockchain is still less secure than a single confirmation from the bitcoin network because finding a block in the bitcoin network is harder than finding 10 block in an alt-coin.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T13:08:12.373Z
2015-03-19T20:49:35.860Z
2015-03-19T20:49:35.860Z
Zyo
<p>There is a lot of confusion about this topic. As I explain in <a href="https://bitcoil.co.il/Doublespend.pdf" rel="nofollow">Analysis of Hashrate-Based Double Spending</a>, the number of needed confirmations stays more or less the same when you reduce the time between blocks.</p>

<p>How many confirmations to wait for is a matter of taste and often arbitrary. It's possible that because of the lower total computational power dedicated to the Litecoin network, it is assumed an attacker could have a higher percentage of the hashrate, and so more confirmations are recommended. But you should still be safe with 2-3 confirmations, which take 5-7.5 minutes on average.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T23:14:31.353Z
2015-03-19T23:14:31.353Z
Meni Rosenfeld
<p>Litecoin has faster blocks, but needs more confirms.</p>

<p>I understand this is because of possible reorgs, but how come it also needs 10 minutes for confirms even though the blocks are faster?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T12:44:06.693Z
Litecoin has a target interval of 2.5 minutes. I don't understand what you mean by "how come it also needs 10 minutes for confirms"?
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T15:07:19.910Z
@Murch I mean that you cannot use 6 confirms as with Bitcoin, but need more.
Maestro
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-20T10:13:42.393Z
Please edit your question to make it easier to understand, as it's written now it is not clear what you meant.
Murch
<protocol>
Why doesn't the block time influence time the amount of time needed for a transaction to be confirmed?
Maestro
# Why doesn't the block time influence time the amount of time needed for a transaction to be confirmed?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-19)

Litecoin has faster blocks, but needs more confirms.

I understand this is because of possible reorgs, but how come it also needs 10 minutes for confirms even though the blocks are faster?

**Tags:** protocol

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Litecoin has a target interval of 2.5 minutes. I don't understand what you mean by "how come it also needs 10 minutes for confirms"?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I mean that you cannot use 6 confirms as with Bitcoin, but need more.  
> **username_1**: Please edit your question to make it easier to understand, as it's written now it is not clear what you meant.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-19. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

If a block is found super fast, like 1 minute, then you have your first confirmation in 1 minute. The 10 minutes is average of time between block confirmation. In fact, since the network in increasing in speed, we are more or less confirming block at 9 minutes each.

In some case, we are out of luck and a single block can take 30 minutes.

That said, the number of confirmation required to accept a payment is totally as the discretion of the merchant. You can accept with 0 confirmation, 1 or 2. Some go more than that but that should be for very big amount (like 100,000$ +).

Another alt coin can confirmed in 10 sec, that's irrelevant because 10 confirmations in that blockchain is still less secure than a single confirmation from the bitcoin network because finding a block in the bitcoin network is harder than finding 10 block in an alt-coin.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-03-19. Score: 1

There is a lot of confusion about this topic. As I explain in [Analysis of Hashrate-Based Double Spending](https://bitcoil.co.il/Doublespend.pdf), the number of needed confirmations stays more or less the same when you reduce the time between blocks.

How many confirmations to wait for is a matter of taste and often arbitrary. It's possible that because of the lower total computational power dedicated to the Litecoin network, it is assumed an attacker could have a higher percentage of the hashrate, and so more confirmations are recommended. But you should still be safe with 2-3 confirmations, which take 5-7.5 minutes on average.


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