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Why Does My Wallet Show a Pending Balance?

What Does a Pending Balance Mean?​

When a supported network reports a positive unconfirmed balance, Gem Wallet can display it as Pending in the asset's balance details. The funds are associated with a transaction that has been submitted but is still awaiting network confirmation.

Pending and Available are different:

  • Pending is a positive unconfirmed amount reported for the account.
  • Available is the amount currently available for supported wallet actions.

Do not assume that a pending incoming amount can be sent, swapped, or staked. Use the Available value when preparing another transaction.

note

A pending balance is a balance category. A transaction marked Pending is an activity status. They are related, but the values shown in each place may not be presented in the same way.

Reproduce and Check the Balance​

Use an asset that already displays Pending. Do not create another transfer just to reproduce the issue.

  1. Open Gem Wallet and select the affected asset.
  2. Review the Balances section.
  3. Record the values shown for Pending and Available.
  4. Select the information icon beside Pending to read its explanation, when displayed.
  5. Open the asset's activity list and select the related transaction.
  6. Check its status, then select View on explorer name to inspect it on the blockchain explorer.

The information panel explains that the transaction has been submitted and is awaiting network confirmation. Processing time varies by network.

Why Is the Amount Still Pending?​

Common causes include:

  • The transaction is new and has not yet been included in a block.
  • The network is congested.
  • A Bitcoin transaction used a fee rate that miners are not currently prioritizing.
  • The wallet or its data provider has not yet received the latest network status.

Gem Wallet cannot control when miners or validators confirm a transaction. Use the blockchain explorer as the source for its current public status.

What Should I Do?​

The Explorer Shows Pending or Unconfirmed​

Wait for the network to process the transaction. Do not ask the sender to submit the same payment again, because both transactions could eventually succeed.

For a detailed status checklist, see Why Is My Crypto Transaction Pending?.

The Explorer Shows Confirmed​

Pull down on the asset screen to refresh it, then close and reopen Gem Wallet if needed. Confirm that the explorer shows the same wallet address, asset, and network.

If the transaction is confirmed but the deposit does not appear after refreshing, follow Crypto Transaction Confirmed but Not Received.

The Explorer Shows Failed, Rejected, or No Transaction​

A failed or rejected transfer will not become a confirmed incoming balance. If the explorer cannot find a recently submitted transaction, wait briefly and check the transaction link again.

If it remains unavailable, confirm the transaction ID with the sender and verify that it belongs to the expected network. Do not rely on a screenshot as proof of payment.

Why Did the Pending Balance Disappear?​

The Pending row is shown only while Gem Wallet receives a positive unconfirmed amount for the account. It can disappear when:

  • The transaction confirms and the amount is reflected in the applicable confirmed balance.
  • The transaction is dropped, rejected, or replaced by the network.
  • Refreshed network data no longer reports an unconfirmed amount.

Check the related transaction on the explorer to determine which event occurred.

If the Values Still Look Wrong​

  1. Confirm that the correct wallet and asset are selected.
  2. Verify the complete receive address.
  3. Pull down to refresh the asset screen on a stable connection.
  4. Update Gem Wallet to the latest available version.
  5. Compare the same address and asset on the correct blockchain explorer.

Continue with Why Is My Crypto Balance Incorrect? if the confirmed, pending, or available values still do not match what you expect.

Contact Support​

Open Settings > Support and provide:

  • The public wallet address.
  • The asset and blockchain network.
  • The transaction ID.
  • The Pending and Available values shown in Gem Wallet.
  • The status shown by the blockchain explorer.
  • A screenshot with sensitive information hidden.
caution

Never share your recovery phrase or private key. Gem Wallet support does not need either one to investigate a public transaction or balance.