How Long Does It Take to Send Bitcoin?

The answer depends on how you're sending and how congested the network is.
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On-Chain Bitcoin (Regular Wallet)

Typical confirmation time: 10–60 minutes

Bitcoin blocks are added every ~10 minutes. Your transaction is confirmed after it's included in a block.

Most wallets consider a transaction final after 1–6 confirmations:

Confirmations Time Status
0 Instant Broadcast, unconfirmed
1 ~10 min In blockchain
3 ~30 min Considered safe for most
6 ~60 min Fully settled

Why Faster or Slower?

  • Higher fee → included in the next block faster
  • Lower fee → may wait longer during busy periods
  • Network congestion → everyone waits longer

Lightning Network (Instant)

If the recipient supports Lightning, transactions are essentially instant (under 1 second) with near-zero fees.

1Bitcoin.ca Withdrawals

When you withdraw Bitcoin from 1Bitcoin.ca:

1
Our team processes your request (1–3 hours on business days)
2
Transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin network
3
First confirmation: ~10 minutes
4
You see it in your wallet: 30–60 minutes total

Total typical time from withdrawal request to wallet: 2–4 hours on business days.

How to Speed Up a Stuck Transaction

  • Wait — it will eventually confirm or be dropped after ~2 weeks
  • Some wallets support Replace-By-Fee (RBF) to bump your fee
  • Check current network conditions at mempool.space

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See also: Bitcoin Confirmation Canada | Bitcoin Transaction Fees Canada | Bitcoin Lightning Network Canada