<p>As answered by Tim S. the 3rd confirmation is on block 298904. But the received time on blockchain.info is mostly inaccurate, see:</p>

<p><a href="http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298902" rel="nofollow">http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298902</a>
<a href="http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298904" rel="nofollow">http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298904</a>
<a href="http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298905" rel="nofollow">http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298905</a></p>

<p>So 298904 was received at 9:31:55 while 298905 was received at 9:32:04.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T06:56:17.857Z
By the data from your links, Do you mean `298904` at `9:31:55`, while `298905` at `9:32:04`?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T15:40:56.957Z
Correct, sorry, updated my answer.
Matthieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T18:30:19.877Z
2014-05-24T15:41:25.273Z
2014-05-24T15:41:25.273Z
Matthieu
<p>The first confirmation was in block 298902, so the third confirmation was with block <a href="https://blockchain.info/block/000000000000000004225c790dd5b4c448fba4ef5a147807ceae171ffe379bc6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">298904</a>, which is timestamped as 2014-05-03 09:42:49 (66 minutes after it was first received).</p>

<p>However, this timestamp is later than the one in the <a href="https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000003b22a916695ea0cda213387101e1dc1d248beef9592bb091" rel="nofollow noreferrer">block after it</a>, suggesting that a timestamp was pretty far off. As <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/25547/12034">Matthieu's answer</a> shows, <a href="http://www.blockcypher.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">blockcypher.com</a>'s API <a href="http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298904" rel="nofollow noreferrer">includes the time</a> that they first saw the transaction. This suggests that the actual time three confirmations was reached was around 2014-05-03T09:31:55.867Z, approximately 59 minutes after the transaction was created (since it was relayed by Blockchain.info, I'm assuming the transaction timestamp there is accurate).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:04:25.463Z
That's what I'd thought initially, but that doesn't seem right, because [block 298905](https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000003b22a916695ea0cda213387101e1dc1d248beef9592bb091) is 10 minutes *before* block 298904... it seems to suggest that I've got 4 confirmations before I had 3?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:12:43.907Z
A timestamp is incorrect, probably the one on 298904. There are certain rules for enforcing [timestamp](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Block_timestamp) correctness, but they have some leeway. (each block references the one before it, so it's quite impossible to have blocks come in out of order)
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:16:29.037Z
Do you mean that we have to *guess* the timing of the confirmations? Shouldn't there be a better way, for example, querying blockchain.info of the time when *it* receives the broadcast?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:43:36.633Z
Yes, that would be good. No, blockchain.info doesn't appear to record that. In fact, I assumed this is what their "Received Time" field should mean. But apparently it's just a repeat of the "Timestamp" field. Perhaps this is due to a simple mistake, which could be fixed for future (maybe also past) blocks. I'll see if I can report this as a bug...
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:57:29.887Z
Besides blockchain.info, Are there any other alternatives we can rely on to get this information (timing when block is received)? I do not ask for *exact* timing, but in-order sequential timing of blocks is crucial. Basically it doesn't make sense if the timing for the 4th confirmation is *before* the 3rd confirmation....
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T15:19:39.140Z
I checked several; they all reported only the timestamp as reported in the block itself.
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T15:39:42.863Z
So if what I need is sequential timing, I'm out of luck?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T15:51:11.190Z
If you want it to be based on existing blockchain explorer sites that I've seen? Yes, you're out of luck. If you hit an API, you might be able to do something, e.g. with [bitcoind](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_(JSON-RPC)), e.g. by querying it for the latest block number every x seconds (this could be suitable for future transactions, not past ones).
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T15:54:45.973Z
blockchain.info also has an API, which probably could tell you something as simple as the block number quite easily (might have more overhead and worse reliability than a local bitcoind server).
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T18:38:43.737Z
I've just noticed some oddity. Blockcypher claims that it received the transaction broadcast at `8:50:25` http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/txs/948a4275c9283110e915cbf51eec6831b4736b01dd2f10f084bb95e46aee1f36, but blockchain.info claims that it received the transaction broadcast at `8:36:30`.... So it took 14 minutes for blockcypher to receive the broadcast from blockchain.info? (I'd thought usually its a matter of seconds up to a few few minutes at most right?)
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T18:49:38.877Z
The timestamps listed by Blockcypher approximately match the timestamps for the block, not the transaction itself. Either they don't try to show the time they first received the transaction, or they didn't happen to see this transaction until it came in the block (although normally, you're right, it should be just seconds before they see it).
Tim S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-24T19:01:22.683Z
@TimeS, The docs claim that it is the time when they received it, on their servers. Exact words from http://dev.blockcypher.com/#transactions: *"When the transaction was received by BlockCypher servers."*. Also, I've just tested it with transaction [83b1f...](http://goo.gl/O1Hif4) . According to http://time.is/ , I did the payment on blockchain.info at `18:52:20`. Blockchain.info correctly shows the received time as `18:52:21` http://goo.gl/O1Hif4 and blockcypher correctly shows received time as `18:52:21` http://goo.gl/xEP8I9 . Why is there a 14 minutes delay in receiving previously?
Pacerier
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T14:02:05.953Z
2014-05-23T18:52:44.030Z
2017-04-13T12:47:32.940Z
Tim S.
<p>Consider <a href="https://blockchain.info/tx/948a4275c9283110e915cbf51eec6831b4736b01dd2f10f084bb95e46aee1f36" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the transaction 948a427..</a> which has 3341 confirmations as of now:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kv2dA.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>We can see that the time the relay is received at 8:36:30 and it has one confirmation at 08:50:04 (after 14 minutes).</p>

<p>How do we find out the exact time when it has 3 confirmations?</p>

<blockchain><confirmations><timestamp>
How do we check the time when a transaction hits x confirmations?
Pacerier
# How do we check the time when a transaction hits x confirmations?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-23)

Consider [the transaction 948a427..](https://blockchain.info/tx/948a4275c9283110e915cbf51eec6831b4736b01dd2f10f084bb95e46aee1f36) which has 3341 confirmations as of now:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kv2dA.png)

We can see that the time the relay is received at 8:36:30 and it has one confirmation at 08:50:04 (after 14 minutes).

How do we find out the exact time when it has 3 confirmations?

**Tags:** blockchain, confirmations, timestamp


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-05-23. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The first confirmation was in block 298902, so the third confirmation was with block [298904](https://blockchain.info/block/000000000000000004225c790dd5b4c448fba4ef5a147807ceae171ffe379bc6), which is timestamped as 2014-05-03 09:42:49 (66 minutes after it was first received).

However, this timestamp is later than the one in the [block after it](https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000003b22a916695ea0cda213387101e1dc1d248beef9592bb091), suggesting that a timestamp was pretty far off. As [username_1's answer](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/25547/12034) shows, [blockcypher.com](http://www.blockcypher.com/)'s API [includes the time](http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298904) that they first saw the transaction. This suggests that the actual time three confirmations was reached was around 2014-05-03T09:31:55.867Z, approximately 59 minutes after the transaction was created (since it was relayed by Blockchain.info, I'm assuming the transaction timestamp there is accurate).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That's what I'd thought initially, but that doesn't seem right, because [block 298905](https://blockchain.info/block/00000000000000003b22a916695ea0cda213387101e1dc1d248beef9592bb091) is 10 minutes *before* block 298904... it seems to suggest that I've got 4 confirmations before I had 3?  
> **username_2**: A timestamp is incorrect, probably the one on 298904. There are certain rules for enforcing [timestamp](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Block_timestamp) correctness, but they have some leeway. (each block references the one before it, so it's quite impossible to have blocks come in out of order)  
> **username_0**: Do you mean that we have to *guess* the timing of the confirmations? Shouldn't there be a better way, for example, querying blockchain.info of the time when *it* receives the broadcast?  
> **username_2**: Yes, that would be good. No, blockchain.info doesn't appear to record that. In fact, I assumed this is what their "Received Time" field should mean. But apparently it's just a repeat of the "Timestamp" field. Perhaps this is due to a simple mistake, which could be fixed for future (maybe also past) blocks. I'll see if I can report this as a bug...  
> **username_0**: Besides blockchain.info, Are there any other alternatives we can rely on to get this information (timing when block is received)? I do not ask for *exact* timing, but in-order sequential timing of blocks is crucial. Basically it doesn't make sense if the timing for the 4th confirmation is *before* the 3rd confirmation....  
> **username_2**: I checked several; they all reported only the timestamp as reported in the block itself.  
> **username_0**: So if what I need is sequential timing, I'm out of luck?  
> **username_2**: If you want it to be based on existing blockchain explorer sites that I've seen? Yes, you're out of luck. If you hit an API, you might be able to do something, e.g. with [bitcoind](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_(JSON-RPC)), e.g. by querying it for the latest block number every x seconds (this could be suitable for future transactions, not past ones).  
> **username_2**: blockchain.info also has an API, which probably could tell you something as simple as the block number quite easily (might have more overhead and worse reliability than a local bitcoind server).  
> **username_0**: I've just noticed some oddity. Blockcypher claims that it received the transaction broadcast at `8:50:25` http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/txs/948a4275c9283110e915cbf51eec6831b4736b01dd2f10f084bb95e46aee1f36, but blockchain.info claims that it received the transaction broadcast at `8:36:30`.... So it took 14 minutes for blockcypher to receive the broadcast from blockchain.info? (I'd thought usually its a matter of seconds up to a few few minutes at most right?)  
> **username_2**: The timestamps listed by Blockcypher approximately match the timestamps for the block, not the transaction itself. Either they don't try to show the time they first received the transaction, or they didn't happen to see this transaction until it came in the block (although normally, you're right, it should be just seconds before they see it).  
> **username_0**: @TimeS, The docs claim that it is the time when they received it, on their servers. Exact words from http://dev.blockcypher.com/#transactions: *"When the transaction was received by BlockCypher servers."*. Also, I've just tested it with transaction [83b1f...](http://goo.gl/O1Hif4) . According to http://time.is/ , I did the payment on blockchain.info at `18:52:20`. Blockchain.info correctly shows the received time as `18:52:21` http://goo.gl/O1Hif4 and blockcypher correctly shows received time as `18:52:21` http://goo.gl/xEP8I9 . Why is there a 14 minutes delay in receiving previously?  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-05-23. Score: 3

As answered by username_2. the 3rd confirmation is on block 298904. But the received time on blockchain.info is mostly inaccurate, see:

<http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298902>
<http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298904>
<http://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/blocks/298905>

So 298904 was received at 9:31:55 while 298905 was received at 9:32:04.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: By the data from your links, Do you mean `298904` at `9:31:55`, while `298905` at `9:32:04`?  
> **username_1**: Correct, sorry, updated my answer.  

---

