You tap Send, approve with Face ID, and a few seconds later it's done. Here's what actually happens in between — because seeing the mechanics is more convincing than being told "it's safe."
1. Your approval never leaves your device
When you tap Send, Enta doesn't ask a server for permission to move your money. It asks your device. Your phone's secure hardware — the same chip that protects Apple Pay or Google Pay — uses your passkey to sign the transaction the moment you confirm with Face ID or Touch ID.
That signature is the only thing that can authorise your funds to move. Nobody at Shiga sees it, holds it, or can produce it on your behalf.
2. The signed transaction gets broadcast to the network
Once signed, the transaction is sent to the blockchain your asset lives on — not to a Shiga database. This is the part people miss: Enta doesn't keep a private ledger of "who owes who." Your balance and every transfer are recorded on a public network that no single company, including Shiga, controls.
Enta's role at this point is closer to a courier than a bank teller — it hands your already-signed instruction to the network and waits for a response.
3. The network confirms it — and this is where speed depends on the network
Different networks confirm transactions at different speeds, and Enta shows you which apply before you send:
Spark, and most EVM networks (Arbitrum, Base, Celo, Optimism, Plasma, Polygon) — confirmation is near-instant and free.
Ethereum — still fast, but a small gas fee applies because of how that specific network prices space on its ledger.
The main Bitcoin network — deliberately slower. It trades speed for being the most battle-tested, most widely supported route in existence.
None of this is Enta being fast or slow — it's the underlying network. Enta shows you the real trade-off up front rather than hiding it behind a spinner.
4. Your balance updates once the network says so — not before
Enta doesn't guess or pre-credit a transfer. Your balance changes when the network itself confirms the transaction is final. That's a deliberate choice: it means what you see in the app always matches what's actually true on the ledger, even if it occasionally means waiting a few extra seconds for a slower network.
Why this is worth knowing
Nothing about a payment depends on Shiga's servers staying up — see Is my money safe if ENTA's systems go down?
Nothing about a payment depends on Shiga being honest — the record is public, not something we could quietly edit. (See How to verify your own transaction — without trusting our app if you want to check one yourself.)
The one thing that actually varies is which network you're on — see Tron vs Solana vs EVM — which network should you pick?
Still have questions? Message us in the chat — we're happy to help.