ERC-6372: a contract’s timepoint can count blocks instead of seconds
The proposed clock interface makes timing units discoverable. Governance and delay interfaces need those units before converting a number into a calendar date.
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What the primary record establishes
ERC-6372, created on 25 January 2023, is published with Review status. It proposes clock() and CLOCK_MODE() to expose a contract’s non-decreasing timepoint and its mode. Ethereum — ERC-6372, Review; created 25 January 2023 ↗
What the distinction changes
WFN interpretation: the same numerical difference can represent different things under different clocks. A delay of a given number of blocks cannot simply be displayed as that number of seconds.
What to check before drawing a conclusion
For an integration, read the clock mode of the relevant deployment and keep it consistent with any snapshot or deadline being queried. A timestamp from one component should not silently be passed into a block-number query in another.
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Original WFN vector illustrationWFN · 30 October 2026
Editorial noteSource-based explanation with original WFN analysis. Historical records retain their dates; numerical examples are illustrative. The original vector illustration is conceptual and is not documentary evidence.
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What is on the record?
Primary-source explainer
Primary-source explainer
Primary record / reference periodHistorical proposal; Review status checked 30 October 2026
The linked source supports the documented record; WFN interpretation and illustrative examples are separate.
The proposed clock interface makes timing units discoverable. Governance and delay interfaces need those units before converting a number into a calendar date.
01 · VERIFIED RECORD
What the primary record establishes
ERC-6372, created on 25 January 2023, is published with Review status. It proposes clock() and CLOCK_MODE() to expose a contract’s non-decreasing timepoint and its mode. Ethereum — ERC-6372, Review; created 25 January 2023 ↗
WFN interpretation: the same numerical difference can represent different things under different clocks. A delay of a given number of blocks cannot simply be displayed as that number of seconds.
A calendar estimate based on expected block production is an estimate. Displaying its assumption beside the date helps users understand why a predicted voting deadline can move as the chain progresses.
03 · REVIEW POINTS
What to check before drawing a conclusion
For an integration, read the clock mode of the relevant deployment and keep it consistent with any snapshot or deadline being queried. A timestamp from one component should not silently be passed into a block-number query in another.
Test the boundary at the actual timepoint used by the contract, then show any human-readable estimate separately. This proposal addresses interoperability of clocks; its Review label and the behaviour of the deployed implementation should both remain visible in a technical assessment.
