> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.circle.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Blockchain confirmations

> How Circle Wallets uses blockchain confirmations to determine transaction finality.

Blockchain confirmations secure transactions and ensure finality on a
blockchain. When you build with Circle Wallets, understanding confirmations
helps you balance speed with the risk of blockchain reorganizations (reorgs).

## How confirmations work

When you submit a transaction to a blockchain using Circle Wallets, it starts in
the `INITIATED` state. The network must include it in a block before it reaches
the `CONFIRMED` state. Each new block added after that makes the transaction
harder to reverse.

A **confirmation number** is the number of blocks that must follow a
transaction's block before it is final. Once the confirmation number is reached,
the transaction can't be reversed.

## Why confirmations matter

Without enough confirmations, transactions are at risk of reorgs. A reorg
happens when validators discard recent blocks and replace them with new ones,
rewriting part of the blockchain's history. This can reverse transactions that
appeared settled.

Each extra confirmation makes a reorg less likely. Because blockchains differ in
design, block times, and consensus, the number of confirmations needed varies by
blockchain.

## How Circle Wallets handles confirmations

Circle Wallets waits for each blockchain's standard confirmation threshold
before marking a transaction as `COMPLETE`. Confirmation times vary by
blockchain.

<Note>
  Even if a transaction is visible on a block explorer, it may not be `COMPLETE`
  in Circle Wallets if it hasn't reached the required number of confirmations for
  that blockchain.
</Note>