Broadcast
First the wallet broadcasts the transaction to the network. At this stage it may be visible but still unconfirmed.
ExchangeWales guide
How blockchain confirmations work
A transaction can appear in a wallet or explorer before it has enough blockchain confirmations for an exchange workflow to treat the payment as settled.
Confirmation
A transaction receives confirmations as the network includes and builds on the block containing it. Confirmation speed depends on the blockchain, network conditions and transaction fee rules.
Request checking
ExchangeWales uses blockchain checking as part of the request status flow. A payment marked by the user is not automatically considered confirmed until the transaction can be validated.