A Bitcoin timestamp can take from about ten minutes to a day or two. It depends on how it is submitted. Bitcoin finds a new block about every ten minutes on average, but the gaps vary a lot, and your transaction has to be picked for a block. Services that batch many timestamps into one transaction wait for the batch. OpenTimestamps says a new proof can take a few hours. At TimeBinder, a Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, often sooner. An ASAP TimeBind is broadcast straight away.
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The short version
| Method | Typical wait | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Bitcoin transaction | About 10 minutes to confirm, often longer | Needs a place in the next block |
| OpenTimestamps | A few hours | Calendar servers batch many timestamps into one transaction |
| TimeBinder Pooled | Usually 24 to 48 hours, often sooner | Batched with other fingerprints |
| TimeBinder ASAP | Broadcast straight away, then confirms as Bitcoin does | Its own Bitcoin transaction |
What “confirmation” means
Miners collect transactions into blocks. Once your transaction is in a block, it has one confirmation, and each new block after that adds another. The Bitcoin Design Guide says blocks are created roughly every 10 minutes, and that after 6 confirmations it is “widely accepted” that no reorganisation can affect the transaction (Bitcoin Design Guide). Six confirmations at ten minutes each is about an hour. The Bitcoin Wiki adds that block gaps follow a random process, so the network “can get unlucky and a block won’t be found for a whole hour” (Bitcoin Wiki: Confirmation).
For a timestamp, one confirmation is enough to give a date. More confirmations only make later reversal less likely.
Why it isn’t always ten minutes
- Block gaps vary. Ten minutes is an average. Individual gaps can be much shorter or longer.
- Fees matter. Miners typically pick the transactions that earn them the most, and the Bitcoin Design Guide notes a transaction “may be delayed if the fee is too low”. A low-fee transaction can wait through several blocks when the network is busy.
- Batching adds waiting time. Timestamping services combine many fingerprints into one transaction to keep costs down. Your fingerprint waits for the next batch, then for the block. OpenTimestamps calendars work this way, and its client README says “it takes a few hours for the timestamp to get confirmed by the Bitcoin blockchain; we’re not doing one transaction per timestamp”.
What to expect from TimeBinder
Pooled (1 Token) fingerprints are combined with others. Recording is usually within 24 to 48 hours, often sooner, depending on network conditions. It is the cheapest option and is fine when the date doesn’t need to be to the hour.
ASAP (3 Tokens) gets its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away. It is the right choice when the date matters, for example before a launch, a filing or a dispute. Because it is its own transaction, it can also be checked independently of TimeBinder. How soon it confirms is up to the Bitcoin network. See Pooled vs ASAP TimeBinds.
What the time on a Bitcoin proof means
The time on a block is the time the miner put in it, and the network accepts only a limited range, so block times are approximate. A timestamp therefore shows your file existed no later than the block time, not at that exact minute. See Bitcoin timestamp proof: what it shows.
“Pending” isn’t failure
If your proof says pending, your fingerprint is waiting to be recorded. For an OpenTimestamps proof, wait a few hours and upgrade it, as explained in how to verify an .ots file. For a TimeBinder Pooled TimeBind, wait for the Proof of Time Certificate to be ready.
Which should you pick?
- No deadline: Pooled, and your first one is free.
- Date matters: ASAP.
- Need to explain the proof to a lawyer: see how to timestamp a file and is a blockchain timestamp admissible in court?
TimeBinder® makes the fingerprint in your browser, and the file stays on your device. A TimeBind shows a file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t prove who made it.
See also the glossary entries for Bitcoin confirmation and Network Time Protocol (NTP).
See also the glossary entries for block explorer, transaction ID (TXID) and mempool.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How long does it take to confirm a Bitcoin transaction?
Bitcoin averages about one block every ten minutes, so one confirmation takes around ten minutes on average. It can be quicker or much slower, and low-fee transactions can wait longer.
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How long does an OpenTimestamps proof take?
OpenTimestamps says a new proof can take a few hours before it can be upgraded to point at a Bitcoin block.
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How long does a TimeBinder Pooled TimeBind take?
Usually 24 to 48 hours, often sooner.
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How quickly does an ASAP TimeBind go to Bitcoin?
It is broadcast straight away as its own Bitcoin transaction. Confirmation then depends on the Bitcoin network.
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Is a timestamp valid before it confirms?
A date can only be shown once the fingerprint is recorded in a block. Until then it is pending.
Pick Pooled or ASAP
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and ASAP is US$15. See plans and pricing
