The same amount of USDT can arrive quickly on one network and slowly on another. This article explains what drives the difference and how to plan around it.
Published September 30, 2026 · 3 min read
When you send crypto, the transaction is first broadcast to the network and waits to be included in a block. Once it is in a block, it has one confirmation. Each further block added on top makes it harder to reverse or rewrite. A wallet does not treat a transfer as final the moment it appears, but only after enough of these blocks have piled up.
Every blockchain produces blocks at its own pace, and that pace is part of its design. Networks also reach practical finality differently: the point at which a transfer is safe from reversal comes sooner on some chains than on others. So the two ingredients of waiting time, how often blocks appear and how many are needed to feel safe, are set separately for each network. That is why USDT sent over one network can be credited sooner than the same USDT sent over another.
The required number is a safety setting, and it depends on how the network reaches finality. A wallet waits for a set number of confirmations per network before crediting, to be safe against reversal. A chain that settles firmly after few blocks needs fewer, while a chain where finality builds up more gradually needs more. The count is therefore not a measure of quality, only a match between the network's behaviour and the level of certainty the wallet wants.
| Factor | What it depends on | Effect on your deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Block pace | How often the network produces a new block | Sets how quickly confirmations can accumulate |
| Finality | How the network makes a transfer safe from reversal | Determines how many confirmations feel sufficient |
| Required confirmations | The wallet's safety setting for that network | Deposit is credited only once this number is reached |
| Congestion | How many transactions compete for block space | Slower confirmation and possibly a higher fee |
| Network choice | The network you select when sending | Must match the deposit address, or the funds will not arrive |
Congestion is the main reason. When many people send transactions at once, they compete for space in each block, and confirmations take longer. At the same time, the fee needed to get included can go up. So a busy network can be slower and more expensive in the same hour, while a quiet one behaves normally. The wait you saw last week is not a guarantee for today.
In Nexus Pay, USDT and USDC can be deposited via TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20 and TON, while BTC and ETH use their own networks. Deposits are credited automatically after the network confirms them, which takes from a few minutes to about an hour depending on the blockchain. You do not need to press anything or contact anyone. Each network also has a minimum deposit amount shown in the app, and deposits below it are not credited.
Speed is a secondary concern next to accuracy. Each deposit address belongs to one network, and a coin sent through a different network than the address was issued for will not arrive and cannot be reversed. Before sending, check three things:
If a deposit is still pending, the likeliest cause is that it has not yet reached the required number of confirmations.
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