How long a crypto swap takes, and what slows one down
Most swaps are done in 5 to 30 minutes. What happens at each stage, and the usual reasons a swap takes longer.
A swap moves through four stages. Knowing them takes most of the stress out of waiting.
- Waiting. The swap is waiting for your deposit to show up on the network.
- Confirming. Your deposit is on the network and the swap waits for enough confirmations to be safe.
- Swapping. The coins are exchanged.
- Sending. The new coins head to your wallet.
Your swap page shows every stage live, so you always know where things stand.
What sets the pace
By far the biggest factor is the coin you send. Fast chains like Tron, Solana, Litecoin and TON confirm in seconds or a few minutes. Bitcoin blocks arrive about every ten minutes on average, and a swap usually needs one or more confirmations. When the Bitcoin mempool is full and you paid a low fee, your deposit can wait a long time before it even makes it into a block.
Other things that slow a swap
- A deposit amount different from what the swap expected.
- A missing memo or tag on coins that need one.
- A compliance check on the deposit. See why swaps get held.
- Congestion on the receiving chain.
Speeding it up
Pay a normal network fee when you send, and send the exact amount shown. In a hurry? Sending a fast coin is often quicker than sending Bitcoin. Follow the progress on your swap page or with track swap.
Quick answers
My swap has said confirming for a while, is something wrong?
Usually not. It is waiting for the network to confirm your deposit. Bitcoin can take an hour or more when fees are high and blocks are slow.
When should I ask for help?
If the swap has not moved for well over an hour after your deposit confirmed on the explorer, open a ticket with your swap ID and we will look into it.
Ready to swap? See the live rate. No account needed.
