You have sent your crypto, the transaction is already visible in a block explorer, yet the exchange is not complete. Why? It all comes down to confirmations — the mechanism that protects both you and the service from a transfer being reversed or replaced. Here is what confirmations are, how many each network needs and how long that usually takes.

What a confirmation is

Blockchain transactions are grouped into blocks. When your transfer is included in a block, it gets its first confirmation. Every subsequent block added to the chain after it is one more confirmation. The more blocks there are “on top”, the more practically impossible it becomes to change or reverse the transaction.

While there are only a few confirmations, there is still a risk of a chain reorganisation: the network may “rewrite” the latest blocks, and the transaction may end up in a different block or disappear altogether. That is why exchange services and trading platforms wait for a certain number of confirmations before treating funds as received.

How many confirmations Brothers Exchange requires

Bitcoin (BTC) — 2 confirmations. A Bitcoin block is produced on average every 10 minutes, so this usually takes about 20 minutes, sometimes longer.
Ethereum (ETH) and ERC-20 tokens (USDT, USDC) — 12 confirmations. A block appears roughly every 12 seconds, so this takes 2–3 minutes in total.
USDT TRC-20 (TRON) — 20 confirmations. A block roughly every 3 seconds, so about a minute.
USDT on TON — 1 confirmation: TON transactions are confirmed within seconds.

Once the funds are considered received, the crypto under the order is sent within 30 minutes, and for exchanges into cash the money is handed over at the agreed meeting.

Why a transaction may be delayed

A low fee. On Bitcoin and Ethereum, transactions with higher fees are included in blocks first. If the fee is too low, the transfer may wait in the queue — the mempool — for a long time.
Heavy network load. At peak times the queue grows and the time to the first confirmation increases.
Not enough coins for the fee. Sending USDT TRC-20 requires energy or TRX, ERC-20 requires ETH, and the TON network requires a little TON. Without them the transaction will simply not be sent.

Will the rate hold if confirmations take a while?

Yes, as long as the transaction was sent on time. The order rate is locked for 60 minutes, and a transaction broadcast to the network before that period expires counts as a timely payment — even if the required confirmations arrive later. So the key is not to delay sending; a long wait for confirmations will not affect the rate.

If the transaction is sent after the order has expired, the operator may offer a recalculation at the current rate. The new rate applies only with your explicit consent; if you do not agree, the funds are refunded.

How to track confirmations

Copy the transaction hash (TXID) from your wallet or exchange history and paste it into the block explorer of the relevant network:

Bitcoin — mempool.space or blockchair.com;
Ethereum and ERC-20 — etherscan.io;
TRON (TRC-20) — tronscan.org;
TON — tonviewer.com or tonscan.org.

The explorer shows which block the transaction is in and how many confirmations it already has. If the transfer was confirmed long ago but the order status is not changing, contact support with the order number and the TXID — we will check and help.

In short

Confirmations protect against transactions being reversed or replaced, which is why a payout is not instant.
Bitcoin takes the longest to confirm, TON the shortest.
Send your transaction within the order's validity period and with a normal fee — then the rate will hold and the exchange will go through without delays.

Blockchain Confirmations: Why a Payout Isn't Instant