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RFC 3161 vs blockchain timestamp. Two ways to show data existed no later than a point in time. Each has real strengths.

Drop a file to timestamp Any file type. Up to 10 files per TimeBind. Opens the TimeBinder app.

Clicking opens the TimeBinder app. Files are hashed locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

The older way is RFC 3161 trusted timestamping, where a Time Stamping Authority signs your data’s hash with the time. The newer one anchors the hash in a public blockchain. In some situations the traditional route is the better choice.

Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. Nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

RFC 3161 vs blockchain timestamp: which should you use?

Short answer: choose a qualified RFC 3161 timestamp if you are in the EU and need the eIDAS presumption, need time to the second, or already sign PDFs or code. Choose a blockchain timestamp if you want a record that doesn’t depend on one authority’s certificate, that creators and clients can check easily, or that covers drafts and versions over a long period.

For high-value records, use both. They do not conflict.

What is TimeBinder? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.

How each one works

RFC 3161: you hash your data and send the hash to a Time Stamping Authority (TSA). The TSA returns a signed token containing the hash and the time. Anyone can check the token with the TSA’s certificate. This is built into PDF signing, code signing and many document systems, and some TSAs are free to use.
Blockchain: the hash, or a Merkle root that combines many hashes, is written into a Bitcoin transaction. Once mined, the block is part of a public ledger copied across thousands of computers. Anyone can check the hash was there no later than that block, without trusting a certificate authority. This is how the open-source OpenTimestamps project works, and how an ASAP TimeBind can be checked; a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder.
The EU difference: timestamps from a qualified trust service provider (listed on the EU Trusted Lists) are “qualified electronic time stamps”. Under Article 41 of the eIDAS Regulation they carry a presumption that the date and time are accurate and that the data has not changed. That is a real advantage if you expect to rely on the record in an EU court or with a regulator.

RFC 3161 TSA vs blockchain anchor

	RFC 3161 TSA	Blockchain anchor (TimeBinder)
Who you trust	The TSA and its certificate chain	The public Bitcoin ledger
Time precision	To the second	No later than the block; block times are accurate to within about two hours
EU legal presumption	Yes, for qualified time stamps (eIDAS Art. 41)	No specific presumption
Long-term checking	Needs the TSA certificate chain; long-term archives often re-timestamp before certificates expire	Stays checkable while the Bitcoin ledger exists (ASAP TimeBinds); Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder
Built into PDFs and code signing	Yes	No
Easy for non-technical users	Usually inside other software	Web app and a readable Proof of Time Certificate

How a TimeBinder timestamp works

Three steps. Submitting takes a few minutes; a Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity, and ASAP is faster.

Drop your files
Add up to 10 files per TimeBind. Any file type and size works.
signed.pdf · build.zip
Hashed on your computer
Your browser works out a unique SHA-256 fingerprint for each file. Nothing is uploaded. The files never leave your device and TimeBinder never stores them.
fingerprint 9f2c…41ab · file stays with you
Sealed to Bitcoin
The fingerprints are anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain: ASAP (your own transaction, sent straight away) or Pooled (usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity). You get a Proof of Time Certificate, a PDF with a QR code and the Bitcoin transaction ID.
✓ sealed · certificate ready

Try a blockchain timestamp →

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That this exact file existed no later than the time recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
That a file shown later still matches its fingerprint: the same file gives the same fingerprint, and any edit gives a different one
A record kept outside your own systems: an ASAP TimeBind can be checked on the Bitcoin blockchain without relying on TimeBinder, and a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder

What it doesn’t show

Who created, wrote or signed the file
That the contents are true or accurate
How a court or other decision-maker will treat it: that depends on the jurisdiction and the rules that apply. It isn’t legal advice

Frequently asked questions

What is an RFC 3161 timestamp?

A signed token from a Time Stamping Authority (TSA). You send a hash of your data, and the TSA signs that hash together with the current time using its certificate. Anyone who trusts the TSA’s certificate can check the token.

What is a qualified electronic time stamp?

Under the EU eIDAS Regulation, a time stamp from a qualified trust service provider. Article 41 gives it a presumption of the accuracy of its date and time and of the integrity of the data it is bound to, across EU member states.

Is a blockchain timestamp as precise as RFC 3161?

No. A TSA token records time to the second. A Bitcoin anchor shows the data existed no later than the block it is in, and Bitcoin block times are only accurate to within about two hours. That is fine for disputes measured in days, not in seconds.

Can I use both?

Yes. They are complementary. Some teams use RFC 3161 tokens inside signed PDFs or code-signing pipelines, and a blockchain anchor as an extra record that does not depend on any single authority.

Which one lasts longer?

An RFC 3161 token depends on the TSA’s certificate chain, so long-term archives often re-timestamp before certificates expire. An ASAP TimeBind stays checkable for as long as the Bitcoin ledger exists.

Related comparisons

Open TimeBinder and timestamp a file

Here’s what you’ll do next:

Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
Add your files. They stay on your computer.
Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.

Open TimeBinder →

Your files stay privateEvery file is hashed locally on your own computer. Your files are never uploaded or stored by TimeBinder; only a fingerprint is sealed to Bitcoin.

Start free: your first Pooled TimeBind each month costs nothing. See pricing