Transactions don’t start out as irreversible. Instead, they get a confirmation score that indicates how hard it is to reverse them (see table). Each confirmation takes between a few seconds and 90 minutes, with 10 minutes being the average. If the transaction pays too low a fee or is otherwise atypical, getting the first confirmation can take much longer.
| Confirmations | Lightweight wallets | Bitcoin Core |
| 0 | Only safe if you trust the person paying you | |
| 1 | Somewhat reliable | Mostly reliable |
| 3 | Mostly reliable | |
| 6 | Minimum recommendation for high-value bitcoin transfers | |
| 30 | Recommendation during emergencies to allow human intervention | |
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