Short answer
For US-regulated exchanges in 2026: standard ACH withdrawal takes 1-5 business days; wire takes same-day to 1 business day if initiated before bank cutoff; instant withdrawal (where available) is minutes but typically costs 1.5-2% fee. First-time withdrawals or large amounts trigger additional verification — expect another 24-72 hours of "review hold" before the bank-side transfer begins.
The standard withdrawal timeline
Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Binance.US all support:
- ACH (free or low fee, 1-5 business days)
- Wire ($25-35 fee, same-day or next-day)
- Instant withdrawal to debit card (1.5-2% fee, minutes)
- Internal transfer between two accounts on the same platform (instant, free)
What slows the first withdrawal
The exchange's compliance flow holds the first withdrawal to a new bank account for 24-72 hours of "review." This is standard practice across all US-regulated exchanges and serves AML purposes — they want to verify the destination bank is genuinely yours before sending money. Subsequent withdrawals to the same bank account skip this hold.
Large withdrawals (typically $10K+) trigger additional review even on established accounts. Documentation requests for source of funds are common above $25K. Plan ahead — don't rely on "withdraw the day I need the money" for amounts beyond your usual range.
The hidden risk: bank rejection
Some US banks reject incoming wires or ACH from crypto exchanges. JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo periodically restrict crypto-source deposits to certain accounts. Chime, Capital One, Discover are usually crypto-friendly. If your bank rejects the deposit, the funds bounce back to the exchange in 3-5 business days, then you wait for the exchange to credit your account again. Net delay: 7-14 days.
Check with your bank before the first major withdrawal. Don't assume it'll just work.
Same-day options
RTP (Real-Time Payments) is available between some US-regulated crypto exchanges and supporting banks. Gemini and Coinbase both support RTP withdrawal to compatible accounts. Funds typically arrive within 30 minutes. Not all banks support RTP yet — Chime, Wells Fargo, Truist do; some others don't.
FedNow is similar (US Federal Reserve's competing service). Coverage expanding through 2026.
Recommendation for predictable cash-out
For amounts you plan to withdraw: pre-establish the destination bank account, do a small test withdrawal first ($50-100) to confirm timeline and bank acceptance, then plan major withdrawals 7+ days before you need the cash to absorb compliance holds.