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How to Convert the Unix Timestamp From UTC To Your Local Timezone


What is meant by "Unix Timestamp" and "Epoch Time"?

A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds since January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC. It is commonly used in computer systems and other applications that use time representation internally.

Epoch time, on the other hand, is a more general term that refers to a point in time relative to some fixed reference point. The reference point for Unix timestamps is the Unix epoch, which is January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC. So in that sense, a Unix timestamp is a specific type of epoch time. But other systems and applications may use different reference points, such as the beginning of a particular year or the launch of a satellite, and these would be considered different types of epoch time.

Unix Timestamps and Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency transactions occur on market exchanges around the clock, a full 24/7. These crypto ecosystems are run by computers that are based in UTC time. When their data centers or APIs return OHLC or trade information, that timestamp / time interval is conveyed in computer time; which is likely different than your local time zone. For instance, the East coast of the US is considered UTC - 5 hours. When we write the files, our servers are likely (possibly) in a different time zone than you are located. The script we wrote is super short, and every line is documented. Basically we will download the BTC/USD hourly file from Bitstamp and add a new date column that will align with our local time zone, and save the resulting CSV file to our machine.




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