RoughTime

This host runs a RoughTime synchronization server implementing Revision 14 (0x8000000c) of the IETF protocol. RoughTime provides cryptographically verifiable time without requiring a trusted network path.

Please feel free to use this server as needed for time synchronization, timestamping, or to test and develop RoughTime clients. We operate it for community benefit; please be reasonable with traffic.

We provide open-source Clojure implementations of the RoughTime protocol and a UDP server.

We also have a command-line client you can use to query this and other servers.

What is RoughTime?

RoughTime is a secure time service. Servers sign batches of client requests, chaining them with Merkle trees. Each response proves the server’s notion of time and prevents undetected backdating/forward-dating across requests.

No single trusted network path: you can verify responses offline.
Chaining (via nonces & Merkle roots) makes equivocation detectable when you query multiple servers.
Great for timestamping, log sealing, and bootstrapping other protocols.

More about why we made this server.

Server Information

Address	roughtime.sturdystatistics.com
Port	2002
Protocol	UDP
Public Key	NqIjwLopQn6yQChtE21Mb97dAbAPe5UOuTa0tOakgD8=

The long-term public key is also available in DNS as a TXT record:
dig -t TXT roughtime.sturdystatistics.com

Tip: For verifiable time, query at least three independent servers and verify the response chain. Cloudflare maintains a public ecosystem list here.

Example Result

Sturdy StatisticsCloudflareint08hroughtime.se

skew	0
expires in	1d 19h

Request Message

{"VER" "0x8000000c",
 "SRV"
 ["4a4344b8 ed36a263 cae105a2 92fe2661"
  "d964691d be07548f 43b5b523 2671f3ab"],
 "NONC"
 ["ca1d4b27 049a26a7 082b5e6e 791d683d"
  "ba2581d4 4efe93bb 6b3172ad 19a53f3c"],
 "TYPE" 0,
 "ZZZZ" "0{912}"}

Response Message

{"SIG"
 ["2b0b6a72 16559c51 9b639319 e6a27a41"
  "fa323fbc f27a9e56 9022df67 02450a58"
  "ee0ff356 533319f5 3a955813 a7bae076"
  "c9a3b853 3c4a29cd cd4954c7 86d3bb06"],
 "NONC"
 ["ca1d4b27 049a26a7 082b5e6e 791d683d"
  "ba2581d4 4efe93bb 6b3172ad 19a53f3c"],
 "TYPE" 1,
 "PATH" [],
 "SREP"
 {"VER" "0x8000000c",
  "RADI" 10,
  "MIDP" 1766843641,
  "VERS" ("1" "0x8000000c"),
  "ROOT"
  ["200fd1b1 905068a6 529be17f a6776cb7"
   "a089f938 8ce2d8c4 31d5f2e2 f2dd8cbb"]},
 "CERT"
 {"SIG"
  ["a2af05d0 b4205d28 84e9765a db27949f"
   "9d70323e cf33d1d5 426a21c2 631e2a42"
   "cf5e0bac 41938c79 3ac31527 1cc01f2a"
   "a2e90ee4 603b2ab4 42929351 a3182200"],
  "DELE"
  {"PUBK"
   ["7083f37d 75bff01e 0299474d eb8e80cf"
    "8b07366d e87c4f45 63a1d885 2667d63e"],
   "MINT" 1766826000,
   "MAXT" 1766998800}},
 "INDX" 0}

Error: Invalid delegation signature

{:dele-bytes
 "0300000020000000280000005055424b4d494e544d4158545bcb688ff32e17c88de638bcb4823e6862aa776a1c3e554deb4dce60a5e178c50cc54f69000000008c16516900000000",
 :dele
 {"PUBK"
  ["5bcb688f f32e17c8 8de638bc b4823e68"
   "62aa776a 1c3e554d eb4dce60 a5e178c5"],
  "MINT" 1766835468,
  "MAXT" 1766921868},
 :lt-public-key "0GD7c3yP8xEc4Zl2zeuN2SlLvDVVocjsPSL8/Rl/7zg=",
 :dele-sig
 "e818c330fc568c89e0b32828f78e6257563497b048be952fb8863d8540e695af0c9e7ba8bbd3c0348ac9d37454c342b1dc3fceb74cd583a18594a54bd152ea02"}

skew	0
expires in	∞

Request Message

{"VER" "0x8000000c",
 "SRV"
 ["95645ff5 c385c24e ba48d509 528a4a74"
  "e0861c0b 57f46c25 ee5c6a48 8a23246f"],
 "NONC"
 ["bfe35b07 ab77d956 ddc98478 604564ea"
  "d811767f 71492633 f61d8466 c4ef199f"],
 "TYPE" 0,
 "ZZZZ" "0{912}"}

Response Message

{"SIG"
 ["adf554e1 6ddf9deb e2204eaf bc5f20fb"
  "0b2e82e6 8f685c25 c1200144 9b6cbe77"
  "a77f5bce 15920bea 21e0c333 454eb594"
  "f4d618cc 141a975a 6aa0077b acac920b"],
 "NONC"
 ["bfe35b07 ab77d956 ddc98478 604564ea"
  "d811767f 71492633 f61d8466 c4ef199f"],
 "TYPE" 1,
 "PATH" [],
 "SREP"
 {"VER" "0x8000000c",
  "RADI" 5,
  "MIDP" 1766843641,
  "VERS" ("0" "0x8000000c"),
  "ROOT"
  ["3728c15a 3ab67d26 34ac0bf2 e69dea0f"
   "0a9088e1 0d22b5a8 4ce8ccc3 cf4f3cdc"]},
 "CERT"
 {"SIG"
  ["c0be52c3 79a57dbd 026b9c23 13748323"
   "35296c4f 42a2b0ec 9319ee0c 18e591dd"
   "5ba1b635 8799b899 989a1d3e 9e314c7e"
   "9abd8b52 e95cef59 a695f41c 66c4f005"],
  "DELE"
  {"PUBK"
   ["92a0b40f d0dc4852 061f075d 305ded4d"
    "9ccc3001 f41f038d e1071a40 4fcf3d60"],
   "MINT" 0,
   "MAXT" 18446744073709551615}},
 "INDX" 0}

skew	0
expires in	1mo 3d

Request Message

{"VER" "0x8000000c",
 "SRV"
 ["8c4bbf59 8f43ff13 da82bfeb 9e0652a4"
  "e372ab03 c2cae3b6 f661ea29 c8ebacc2"],
 "NONC"
 ["59c86e07 e357dfaf f5124a51 fb6cecc4"
  "743f59e7 42b437d5 7fca5e95 818ff826"],
 "TYPE" 0,
 "ZZZZ" "0{912}"}

Response Message

{"SIG"
 ["6a2f984c 7f3cab40 0a8e0ca7 a241afdd"
  "897542f7 10cee9f8 3115d7b7 717f4d13"
  "f54cdbe8 f9e4c936 eeaf7c0b 22aa0892"
  "ff26e958 e86ea10c acbdbe39 5188800f"],
 "NONC"
 ["59c86e07 e357dfaf f5124a51 fb6cecc4"
  "743f59e7 42b437d5 7fca5e95 818ff826"],
 "TYPE" 1,
 "PATH" [],
 "SREP"
 {"VER" "0x8000000c",
  "RADI" 1,
  "MIDP" 1766843641,
  "VERS" ("0x8000000c"),
  "ROOT"
  ["0e40b063 97404bd0 472eea88 c929d659"
   "3a83fdc3 2dd6a189 71e45f91 a787e696"]},
 "CERT"
 {"SIG"
  ["a6c490ef 46ffa7ff cac357ad cd2d578c"
   "85530735 d209b146 daa3ad39 20e998b4"
   "6258beb7 6eef48e2 03d5841a 39c211d1"
   "529723d0 25d59ee4 df3e9a09 dfc7520d"],
  "DELE"
  {"PUBK"
   ["186de3da d4f695fe f296f26a 92e8964f"
    "202b7c8e 65285b62 3d0826b9 4facd925"],
   "MINT" 1736208000,
   "MAXT" 1769817600}},
 "INDX" 0}