A timestamp in cryptocurrency refers to the recorded date and time that a transaction block was mined and validated. It provides a chronological record of activity on the blockchain. When a block is created, it contains two timestamps – one entered by the miner who mined it and one denoting the actual creation time. For accuracy, these values should match. If a miner falsifies the timestamp to earn more mining rewards for faster block times, rules like Median Time Past and Future Block Time prevent tampering by comparing timestamps across blocks.
Exchanges also provide timestamps documenting wallet transaction history. Cryptocurrency timestamps give each transaction a digital signature certifying when it occurred. Their decentralized nature makes timestamp fraud infeasible, enabling reliable and transparent chronology. Once a timestamp is embedded in the blockchain ledger, it cannot be altered, establishing a permanent audit trail.