What is a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp?

OpenTimestamps links the fingerprint of manifest.json through a hash tree to a Bitcoin block. Your work and author name are not published on the blockchain. Public calendars are free; our fee covers preparation, proof retention and status upgrades.

An initial .ots file may be pending. Confirmation is shown only after verification. Full verification uses Bitcoin Core. A compact deployment can corroborate a proof through two external block explorers; this depends on their data and is labelled separately.

A timestamp supports the existence of particular data no later than the block time. It helps establish a chronology. Authorship and the scope of legal rights depend on other evidence and applicable law.