The solution we propose begins with a timestamp server. A timestamp server works by taking a hash of a block of items to be timestamped and widely publishing the hash, such as in a newspaper or Usenet post 2 3 4 5 . The timestamp proves that the data must have existed at the time, obviously, in order to get into the hash. Each timestamp includes the previous timestamp in its hash, forming a chain, with each additional timestamp reinforcing the ones before it.
本解决⽅案起步于⼀种时间戳服务器。时间戳服务器是这样⼯作的:为⼀组(block)记录(items)的哈希打上时间戳,⽽后把哈希⼴播出去,就好像⼀份报纸所做的那样,或者像是在新闻组(Usenet)⾥的⼀个帖⼦那样 2 3 4 5 。显然,时间戳能够证明那数据在那个时间点之前已然存在,否则那哈希也就⽆法⽣成。每个时间戳在其哈希中包含着之前的时间戳,因此构成了⼀个链;每⼀个新的时间戳被添加到之前的时间戳之后。