<p>Transactions do not have timestamps, so the timestamp that blockchain.info displays is whatever time their node received the transaction. The time shown will also change to the time that it was included in a block. In general, it is not reliable to trust the timestamp given for an unconfirmed transaction on blockchain.info as it is entirely dependent on their node.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T00:14:45.803Z
2017-12-27T00:14:45.803Z
Ava Chow
<p>The actual time of a transaction is not <em>that</em> relevant, and neither the precise time a block is minted. In the end, it is about <em>order</em>: in the race to mine the next block, the first valid block is broadcasted to all other miners, and that block is part of the longest chain. </p>

<p>If a miner receives two valid block close to each other, first one from miner B and then one from miner A and the timestamp on block A reveals it was actually mined first, our miner will still include block B because it came in first, and miners are incentivised to start mining the next block as soon as possible. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T01:11:32.593Z
2017-12-27T01:11:32.593Z
henq
<p>I need to properly segment transactions by time. Are timestamps in transactions trustable? Can these be forged?</p>

<p>I'm not sure if transaction timestamps are part of the protocol, but I'm particularly interested in the "Received Time" which shows up in blockchain.info . For example, <a href="https://blockchain.info/tx/4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this transaction</a> (<a href="https://blockchain.info/rawtx/4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927" rel="nofollow noreferrer">api url</a>)</p>

<pre><code>{
   time:1385506952,
   inputs:[
      {
         prev_out:{
            n:2,
            value:50000000,
            addr:"17BPmjqg7mbaWYdff2EjVxra1FBHG4VAN3",
            tx_index:97772745,
            type:0
         }
      }
   ],
   vout_sz:2,
   relayed_by:"127.0.0.1",
   hash:"4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927",
   vin_sz:1,
   tx_index:99131036,
   ver:1,
   out:[
      {
         n:0,
         value:40000000,
         addr:"1LwmnEn97jcANB68C5BVFQLJJLAm5UTJqW",
         tx_index:99131036,
         type:0
      },
      {
         n:1,
         value:9990000,
         addr:"17BPmjqg7mbaWYdff2EjVxra1FBHG4VAN3",
         tx_index:99131036,
         type:0
      }
   ],
   size:257
}
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T01:11:58.363Z
related: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7404/how-does-bitcoin-figure-out-what-time-it-is
Murch
<transactions><timestamp><raw-transaction><time>
Are timestamps in transactions trustable?
aromero
# Are timestamps in transactions trustable?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-11-26)

I need to properly segment transactions by time. Are timestamps in transactions trustable? Can these be forged?

I'm not sure if transaction timestamps are part of the protocol, but I'm particularly interested in the "Received Time" which shows up in blockchain.info . For example, [this transaction](https://blockchain.info/tx/4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927) ([api url](https://blockchain.info/rawtx/4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927))

```
{
   time:1385506952,
   inputs:[
      {
         prev_out:{
            n:2,
            value:50000000,
            addr:"17BPmjqg7mbaWYdff2EjVxra1FBHG4VAN3",
            tx_index:97772745,
            type:0
         }
      }
   ],
   vout_sz:2,
   relayed_by:"127.0.0.1",
   hash:"4054f8170f7fc7c12229a116baead874f22478810b0a7e842aa28403c9b59927",
   vin_sz:1,
   tx_index:99131036,
   ver:1,
   out:[
      {
         n:0,
         value:40000000,
         addr:"1LwmnEn97jcANB68C5BVFQLJJLAm5UTJqW",
         tx_index:99131036,
         type:0
      },
      {
         n:1,
         value:9990000,
         addr:"17BPmjqg7mbaWYdff2EjVxra1FBHG4VAN3",
         tx_index:99131036,
         type:0
      }
   ],
   size:257
}

```

**Tags:** transactions, timestamp, raw-transaction, time

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: related: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7404/how-does-bitcoin-figure-out-what-time-it-is  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-27. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Transactions do not have timestamps, so the timestamp that blockchain.info displays is whatever time their node received the transaction. The time shown will also change to the time that it was included in a block. In general, it is not reliable to trust the timestamp given for an unconfirmed transaction on blockchain.info as it is entirely dependent on their node.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-27. Score: 0

The actual time of a transaction is not *that* relevant, and neither the precise time a block is minted. In the end, it is about *order*: in the race to mine the next block, the first valid block is broadcasted to all other miners, and that block is part of the longest chain.

If a miner receives two valid block close to each other, first one from miner B and then one from miner A and the timestamp on block A reveals it was actually mined first, our miner will still include block B because it came in first, and miners are incentivised to start mining the next block as soon as possible.


---

