How long does an ICP transfer take?

About 1–2 seconds to finality on the ledger. Exchange deposits credit within minutes; any longer wait is platform-side processing.

Why do I see two different ICP address formats?

Exchanges use 64-hex account identifiers; apps and modern wallets use dashed principal IDs. Both are valid ICP destinations of different kinds — use exactly the format the receiving side displays, and don't convert between them by hand.

Is ckBTC real Bitcoin?

It's a 1:1 redeemable twin held by ICP's threshold cryptography — the protocol itself custodies the underlying BTC, with no bridge company in the middle. Redeemable, yes; native BTC on Bitcoin's chain, no. Withdraw to a bc1 address to hold the real thing.

Does ICP need a memo for deposits?

Generally no — exchanges issue you a unique account identifier rather than a pooled address with memos. Copy the full 64-character identifier exactly; a truncated paste is the common failure.

What is ICP used for?

ICP converts (burns) into cycles that power applications, stakes into the Network Nervous System for governance and rewards, and pays the flat ledger transfer fee. It's both the fuel source and the governance weight of the network.

Does ICP have a maximum supply?

No hard cap: supply started near 469 million at 2021 genesis, grows through governance-staking rewards, and shrinks as ICP burns into cycles. Net supply depends on the balance between the two.

Can I buy ICP with a debit card?

Yes — Anytime Capital sells ICP for debit cards from all major US banks, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, wires, and cash in person, delivered to your ICP account in minutes on verified orders.

What is the Network Nervous System?

ICP's on-chain governance DAO: stake ICP in 'neurons,' vote on protocol changes, earn rewards scaled by lockup length (up to 8 years). It runs the network's upgrades — an unusually powerful governance system among major chains.

Crypto network guide

The Internet Computer, Explained

Quick answer

The Internet Computer (ICP) is DFINITY's network for running full applications — front ends included — entirely on-chain in 'canisters.' Launched May 2021, it uses a reverse-gas model where apps pre-pay computation in cycles, so users transact without fees. ICP is the asset that funds it all.

Buy ICP now ICP calculator

Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Anytime Capital trading desk

Internet Computer at a glance

Launched: 2021
Consensus: Proof of Stake variant (chain-key cryptography across subnets)
Block time: ~1 second per subnet
Typical transfer time: Under 1 minute
Typical network fee: Under a cent – cents
Native asset: Internet Computer (ICP)

Network fee: A flat 0.0001 ICP per ledger transfer — fractions of a cent. Third-party network figures, not Anytime Capital pricing — our pricing is on the fees & limits page.

How long does a Internet Computer transfer take?

ICP ledger transfers finalize in about 1–2 seconds. Exchange deposits use long hexadecimal account identifiers and credit within minutes; the network itself is never the wait.

Compare every chain on one page: how long crypto transfers take on every major network.

Apps that live entirely on-chain

Every other major chain hosts contracts while front ends live on ordinary web servers. The Internet Computer's canisters serve the whole application — logic, data, even the web page — from the network itself, addressed by chain-key cryptography that lets a single public key validate the entire system. It's the most architecturally ambitious design among major networks, and the least like the others.

Reverse gas: users don't pay

On ICP, applications pre-purchase computation as 'cycles' (minted by burning ICP, priced stably against a fiat basket), so end users interact without paying per-transaction fees. Ledger transfers of ICP itself cost a flat 0.0001 ICP. For consumers the takeaway: no gas anxiety, and the burn side of cycles ties network usage to ICP's supply.

Chain-key Bitcoin and the twins

ICP's chain-key cryptography lets the protocol itself custody assets from other chains: ckBTC and ckUSDC are on-ICP twins of Bitcoin and Ethereum-USDC, redeemable 1:1, held by the network's threshold cryptography rather than a custodial bridge company. They're the safest form of bridged asset design — while still being representations, not native issuance. For plain dollar transfers between platforms, native stablecoin rails remain the standard.

Stablecoins on Internet Computer

Stablecoins on the Internet Computer network
Stablecoin	Standard	Status	Notes
USDCckUSDC	Chain-key twin	Supported	ckUSDC is the Internet Computer's cryptographic twin of Ethereum USDC — held by the protocol, not a custodial bridge; still not Circle-native issuance

What does a Internet Computer address look like?

Internet Computer address formats
Format	Looks like	Notes
Account identifier	64 hex characters	What exchanges use for ICP deposits
Principal ID	Dashed groups, e.g. xxxxx-xxxxx-…	The identity format used inside apps and modern wallets

Buy ICP or stablecoins on Internet Computer — the #1 place to buy crypto with a debit card, wire, Apple Pay & more

Anytime Capital is a US-based money services business with thousands of customers. Debit and credit cards from every major US bank work here, verification takes minutes, and delivery goes straight to the Internet Computer address you choose.