When you use Decaf to convert crypto to fiat, you’re operating with USDC, a stablecoin backed 1:1 by the U.S. dollar (USD). This means that every fiat transaction — such as withdrawing money to your bank account — goes through a USDC to USD conversion first, and then it is exchanged into your local currency.
Because these payments involve U.S. dollars, they are processed through the U.S. banking system known as ACH.
What is ACH?
ACH (Automated Clearing House) is the electronic system used by banks in the United States to process money transfers between accounts.
ACH does not process payments in real time. Instead, it works in “cycles” or “batches” throughout the day. Every time you make a payment or deposit via ACH, it gets scheduled to be processed in the next available cycle.
ACH Processing Schedules
The ACH network runs three processing cycles per day, on business days only (Monday to Friday, excluding U.S. bank holidays). These are the approximate processing times for Same-Day ACH payments:
🕘 First cycle: around 10:30 a.m. EST
🕐 Second cycle: around 1:45 p.m. EST
🕓 Third cycle: around 4:45 p.m. EST
👉 If a transfer is initiated after those times or on a weekend, it will be processed on the next business day.
What Should You Keep in Mind?
⏳ Not instant: While ACH is safe and widely used, it may take anywhere from a few hours to 1–2 business days to complete.
📆 Weekends and bank holidays don’t count for processing time.
🕒 Transfers made early in the day are more likely to be processed in the first or second cycle.
💸 On Decaf, your funds are credited once they’ve actually been received through the relevant ACH cycle.