---
title: Timestamps and Dates 
slug: signum/timestamps-and-dates
docTags: 
createdAt: 2022-09-06T21:15:02.000Z
---

Time measurement in Signum works a bit different than in Javascript or any other modern programming language, i.e. the timestamps delivered in the nodes responses are based on the beginning of the blockchain, the [Genesis Block](https://chain.signum.network/block/0). So, when dealing with real world dates the timestamp of a block needs to be converted. And like with `Amount` and `ChainValue` a value object class is available for that also: [`ChainTime`](https://signum-network.github.io/signumjs/classes/util.chaintime.html)``

```javascript
const {ChainTime} = require("@signumjs/util");

console.log('The current block timestamp is', ChainTime.fromDate(new Date()).getChainTimestamp())
console.log('The Signum Mainnet went live on', ChainTime.fromChainTimestamp(0).getDate().toUTCString(), '(local time)')
console.log('Expressed in the Epoch timestamp (1.1.1970) it was', ChainTime.fromChainTimestamp(0).getEpoch())

```