$$ \newcommand \MaxTimestampIncrement {\Delta t_{\max}} $$

Timestamp

The timestamp \( t \) is a 64-bit signed integer.

The timestamp is purely informational and states when a block was first proposed, expressed in the number of seconds since the Unix epoch (00:00:00 UTC on Thursday, 1 January 1970).

The timestamp \( t_{r+1} \) of a block in round \( r \) is valid if:

• \( t_{r} = 0 \) or
• \( t_{r+1} > t_{r} \) and \( t_{r+1} < t_{r} + \MaxTimestampIncrement \).

📎 EXAMPLE

Suppose the block production stalls on round \( r \) for a prolonged time. When correct operations resume, a certain number \( n \) of blocks has to be committed until the timestamp catches up to external time references. If \( t^{\ast} \) is the current external time reference, then:

$$ n = \left\lceil \frac{t^{\ast} - t_{r}}{\MaxTimestampIncrement} \right\rceil $$